Beneath the Waves
by whistlemytune
Summary: Bella knows that things are going south with her husband, Michael. She knows that they are doomed unless something changes. When she meets a guy that understands her, she thinks that her chance has flew by to find true happiness. But when the waves of change start rolling, will she overcome or just fall beneath the waves?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: Before you turn away from this story because of the incomplete status, have no fear! This story is complete and waiting to be posted, but I just want some reviews before I post the rest. There are only 18 chapters in total and since the chapters are long, I hope they tide you over until I add the rest! Please enjoy and thanks for reading! There may be some mistakes in my writing and I apologize! I wrote this story originally years and years ago, I just thought that E/B were better suited to this story than my original characters! Reviews equal love, people! Mwah!

**CHAPTER ONE**

Twenty-three year old Bella Newton rested her hands on her hips and surveyed her work. The furniture was in place and the shelves and cabinets were dusted and finally clean. The picture frames were finally straightened and smiling babies grinned back at her from behind the glass, toothless grins and soft, bald heads dominating the portraits. Early morning sun glimmered through the windows, casting gentle warmth over the room.

"Perfect," she sighed as a small smile crossed her lips. After two days of cleaning, unpacking, and rearranging, her new living room was finally completed. Her husband, of course, had been of no help.

"Don't throw your back out, babe," Mike had said upon Bella's first mention of the work she wanted to do in their new house. They'd moved in only five days before and the only box that he had opened had contained his TV. Between wrestling her children down for naps and getting them fed, bathed, and oxygenated outside, she had no time to even think about doing all of the unpacking on her own. But Mike wasn't showing any signs of progress in that department. His clothes were still overflowing from the boxes in their new master bedroom.

Surprised that her babies hadn't woken her up at the crack of dawn, Bella took advantage of the free time and by 8 am, she'd finished the master bathroom, the kids bathroom, and the living room. Just as she stepped towards the kitchen, the cries of her nine-month-old son, Sam, rang from the back of the house. Sighing, she set her cleaning supplies and box cutter to the side and made her way to his bedroom.

"Samuel…" she cooed, as she stepped inside his nursery. It was plain and the walls were garish and white. She'd managed to unpack most of his clothes but a box of his toys was tipped over sideways and the contents had spilled across the carpet. She'd wanted so badly to give her children beautiful bedrooms when they arrived at their new house in Chicago but it was too hard to find the time to do anything other than care for her children and the rest of the house.

"Hi baby," she smiled, as she approached his crib. He was lying on his back, tears glistening in his brown eyes and his cheeks flushed a bright shade of red. At the sight of his mother, he stopped crying and stared up at her expectantly. She reached in and lifted him up and into her arms. He pushed his face against her shoulder and then rested there as if he'd just experienced the most horrible tormenting. She was still dressed in her flannel pajama pants and white tank top and so Sam's warm tears fell gently on her skin.

"How about we wake up your sister and get some breakfast, huh?" she asked, looking down at him as they left the room. She wiped his cheek and kissed his forehead and then quietly stepped into Lana's bedroom. Her three-year-old was wide awake, sitting on her bed, cross legged, while Dora the Explorer played on the TV at the end of her bed.

"Mama!" she cried when she noticed that Bella had entered the room. She pointed at the TV and grinned. "I turned the teebie on!" Bella smiled. Lana was her golden child. She was a modern, miniature version of Shirley Temple with her tight, brown curls and sweet dimples. She was smart and alert and she loved everyone, especially her father which was heartbreaking for Bella because she knew that Mike was not tuned into his daughter's intense desire to be with him whenever he was home.

"Good job, baby!" Bella praised and then wiggled her fingers at her daughter. "You hungry, Lana? I'm going to make some breakfast and then we'll get dressed and go to the park!"

"Okay!" Lana cried, jumping off of her bed. Bella knew that would do it. If anything could pry Lana away from the TV, it was the promise of a trip to the park or the playground, or anything that was outside. She sat through breakfast and a bath without contest and by eleven, they were on their way to the neighborhood park, Sam in the stroller and Lana toddling along beside her mother, picking at flowers and talking to the bees.

"Stay where I can see you, Lana, okay? The sand box and the swings!" Bella called, as soon as her daughter took off across the grass, her small legs carrying her to the sandbox where she met her daily array of toddler friends. A group of familiar mothers smiled to Bella and she waved gently as she began extricating Sam from the stroller. She rested him on her hip and pulled the blanket from the back of the stroller in one single motion. Pushing the stroller to the side, she spread the blanket out over the grass and lowered herself on top of it. She laid Sam on his stomach and let him paw at the blanket. Sitting back, she took a deep breath of the fresh, June air and then exhaled slowly.

She hadn't asked for this life. She'd always dreamed of a husband and babies but not at the age of twenty. At seventeen, she had graduated high school at the top of her class. She'd once been enrolled at a four year university. Before she'd met Mike at the University, she'd never been with anyone before. He was a junior, two years her senior, and he had been a T.A. for one of her professors. He caught her after class one night during the first week of school and that was it. They were dating by Labor Day.

As a freshmen, she fell in love with him and she fell fast and hard. By winter break of her sophomore year, she was pregnant and terrified of how he would take the news. But he surprised her. Although she had to drop out of school, he proposed to her and promised that they would be married as soon as he graduated the following May. He kept his promise and they had a small summer wedding and he had bought her a dress that was tailored to fit over her swollen belly. Lana was born the following September and they were complete.

For the first year of their marriage, they lived in a small apartment in Seattle close to Mike's job where he was working P.R. for a small Internet company. When he landed a job at a bigger and better company, they celebrated his success and Sam was conceived. That's where Bella saw a change in her husband. Upon Sam's arrival to the world, everything changed.

Mike rarely woke in the middle of the night to help Bella with either of the kids. He started working later and longer and when he was home he only seemed to want television, beer, or sex but never love from Bella or the kids. When he announced that his company was sending him to the mother ship in Chicago, Bella almost expected him to break everything and go alone, leaving his family behind. She wouldn't have minded that so much. Anything would have been better than living in a strange city, hundreds of miles away from everything that she'd ever known, just to be with a man who didn't want her anymore.

She had her babies and most of the time, she believed that they were all that she needed here to be happy. Sometimes, though, in the dark of the night as Mike snored from his place beside her, she would cry her silent tears and wish for something better, some new reality to sweep her off of her feet and take her away.

"Mama?" Lana asked and Bella found herself swept back to her actual reality where a golden haired little girl with dirty knees smiled in the sun. Bella smiled, bringing her hand to her forehead, fighting the summer sun.

"What's up, baby?" she asked.

"I made a present," she said, extending her fist to me. She was standing over Sam, who was looking up at his sister with curious eyes. She moved her hand under Lana's and she opened her fist. A decapitated grass hopper fell onto Bella's palm and she screeched. The bug flipped into the grass beside the blanket and Lana giggled.

"His head come off!" she said, shrugging her shoulders. "But I don't know where." Bella laughed gently and reached out, brushing her daughter's cheek gently with her palm.

"Thank you, baby," she said. "But bugs don't make good presents. Why don't you make me a sand castle? I have my camera. We can take a picture of it and put it in your room."

"I can't," she said. Bella raised her eyebrows.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Boys potty in the sand box!" she cried, as if it were the most horrific thing she'd ever heard. Bella laughed and looked past her daughter, wondering what on earth had happened to make her think that. A small, red headed boy about Lana's age was cowering at the edge of the sand box as his father, a tall, bronze haired young man, poked a finger at his face with a stern expression. Upon looking into the sandbox, she found a darker patch near the middle and she imagined that the little boy had done his business on the sand.

"Oh wow… well… do you want to go on the swings?" Bella asked, turning back to Lana. She readjusted her daughter's pink overalls and brushed the sand from her daughter's clothes as Lana contemplated her answer.

"Mmmm… okay!" she said, as if she really had to think about it. Bella smiled.

"All right, well you go on over to the swings and Sam and I will be over in a second to swing with you, okay?" she asked. Lana nodded feverishly and veered around her brother and hurried to the swings.

Bella watched her daughter find her way to the larger swings, where she was sure she belonged and then turned to Sam. She scooped him up off of the blanket and into her arms and slowly stood up. Sam smiled at her, happy to be outside and in the sun and she kissed his cheek and adjusted the hat that she had put on his head to keep him from getting sun burnt. Together, they left their blanket and crossed the playground toward the swings.

As she passed the father and his son, she glanced to them and offered a sympathetic smile to the father as he looked up to watch her pass. His eyes lingered on her and until she realized how completely gorgeous he was, she felt uncomfortable. Once she noticed the color of his eyes and the perfect curve of his jaw and the way that his hair fell in his eyes she was perfectly happy with letting him look at her. He sent her a small smile, as if he was surprised to find her standing there and she returned it warmly. The little boy stood beside him, tears in his eyes. Behind them, a baby girl waited in the stroller, her eyes closed and her body shaded by the leaves of the tree overhead. After another lingering glance, he turned back to his son and Bella continued to the swings, a smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

"How are you doing out there, Bells?" Twenty-seven-year-old Nessie asked from the other end of the phone line. "How are the kids?" Bella turned her attention away from her sleeping children and returned her focus to the conversation that she was having with her older sister over the phone. She stepped away from her bed where both Lana and Sam had fallen asleep. Pillows were pushed against them on either side and she had draped a blanket over both their bodies. They were sleeping soundly, finally resting after a long morning and an even longer afternoon.

After the park they'd went to lunch downtown where Bella had come across only one more thing that Lana was allergic to. Mayonnaise. Of all the things in the world. The little girl's tongue swelled up and they made a mad dash to the emergency room where it was quickly cleared up with antibiotics and they were sent home with a prescription.

"How are we doing out here?" Bella asked, repeating the question. She sighed and stepped back to her living room slowly. Sam had managed to pull his toys out of the toy box and they were strewn across every inch of the carpet. Bella began picking them up slowly as she rested the phone between her shoulder and her ear.

"We're doing all right," she said. "Mike works more than I'd like him to but we make due without him. The kids are fine. Lana is allergic to mayonnaise." She was tired and she was sure that her sister could hear it in her voice. If anyone knew Bella, it was Nessie.

"Mayonnaise, peanuts, and eggs," Nessie said, listing off her niece's allergies. "You've got quite a little girl there, Bells. Did she have another reaction?"

"Yes," Bella said, replacing Sam's toys in the toy box. Slowly, she lowered herself onto the couch and laid back with a heavy sigh. "I gave her a bite of my sandwich and her tongue grew to twice its size and her face broke out in a rash. She's okay now but it's been a long day."

"Did Mike go to the hospital with you? You did go to the hospital, right?" Nessie asked.

"Yes… yes, I did," Bella said, impatiently. Sometimes she grew tired of the way that her sister treated her, as if she wasn't good enough as a parent. Nessie, the super-mom seemed to know everything about parenting and Bella never seemed to know enough. Bella felt superior to her sister at times, having two children while Nessie only one child, her six-year-old daughter, Ashlyn, and a loving and supportive husband who she'd been with since she was fifteen years old.

"Well… good. Did he go?" Nessie repeated. Bella didn't want to admit that her husband was not helping her. Ever since they'd moved to Illinois, she felt like he was practically non-existent in the home. He came home after work and was gone again in the morning. He didn't kiss Sam or Lana good night. He didn't play with them before work.

"No," Bella finally said, opening her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling. What was she supposed to do? Mike was bringing home their income and keeping Bella and the children fed, clothed, and sheltered. How could she argue with him and accuse him of being non-involved when everything that he was doing was for his family?

"He was busy," Bella added, running her hand across her forehead. She was tired. Her bones ached and her muscles were sore. She'd chased Lana all over the park and had given all her energy to the children.

"When is he not," Nessie muttered but Bella heard her. She sighed and quickly changed the subject.

"How's Ashlyn?" she asked, picturing her sweet faced niece in her mind. With her long reddish brown hair, green eyes, and sweet smile she was a splitting image of her mother. The memory of the little girl panged Bella's heart. She hated that she had to be so far away from her family. She hated that Lana could no longer grow up with her cousin and that Sam would not know her again until he was older. She missed her sister and her brother-in-law, Jake. She missed her parents who were still in Forks, missing her everyday. She missed her younger brother, Riley, and she hated that she wouldn't get to be near him as he started his senior year. Mike didn't care about these things. He was more interested in the money that a new job was bringing him and the financial security that he could promise to Bella and their children.

"Ashlyn is great," Nessie said, her tone quickly softening. She loved her daughter more than anything. Bella loved that about her sister. Since the day that Ashlyn was born, Nessie hadn't let her love for the little girl fade. She loved her so much that she refused to have more children because she was sure that she would explode with love. "She's just started a gymnastics day camp so she isn't around much during the day. We miss her a lot but she's having fun so we won't complain."

"Gymnastics?" Bella asked, wondering if she could put Lana through that. The little girl had so much energy already. Maybe something active like that would help balance her energy and keep her calmer during the evenings.

"You should find a program for Lana," Nessie said, as if she read her sister's mind. "She'd be good at something like gymnastics or tap dance or… any kind of dance really." Her sister paused and Bella listened as her sister placed her hand over the receiver. She heard a muffled voice, Nessie's, and then a deeper voice answered and Bella pictured Jake, her sister's husband. He'd been involved in Nessie's life since Bella was eleven. The man was her brother, more than marriage could ever claim and she loved him as much as she loved her own siblings.

"Jake needs the phone, Bells," Nessie said, coming back on the line. "He's got some business something or other to deal with. I'll call you back on my cell phone later tonight, all right?"

Bella smiled softly and nodded, sad to lose touch with her sister so soon but happy to have time to rest while the babies were asleep.

"All right," she answered. "Tell Jake I said hi and send Ashlyn our love."

"I will," Nessie said. "I love you, Bells."

"Love you too," Bella said, before her sister hung up.

Sighing heavily, Bella ended the phone call and rested the phone on her stomach. Closing her eyes, she shifted against the couch cushions until she was comfortable. It wasn't a permanent comfort because five minutes later her leg started to fall asleep. She pulled herself off of the couch and walked heavily back to her bedroom. Without waking either of them, Bella slid in close to her children and pulled Sam into her arms and moved Lana close to them. With their soft heart beats and even breaths as a lullabye, Bella found pleasant sleep within minutes.

Somewhere in the house, Bella could hear Mike's voice, loud and demanding as he talked. She assumed that he was on his phone because the conversation was one sided. She roused from sleep slowly, finding that only Sam was still with her on the bed. Sitting up quickly, she glanced around the room in search of her daughter. The bedroom door was open and behind Mike's voice, Bella could hear the TV on in the living room and a sports announcer was shouting the latest game scores. Was Lana in her bedroom? Making sure that Sam was secure on the bed, Bella got out of bed and wandered to the hallway. She could see Mike's shadow coming from the kitchen and between his shouts she could hear dishes clanking together.

Pushing her hand through her hair, she stepped up to Lana's room and pushed open her bedroom door. Her TV was on but she was not inside. Panic rose inside of Bella's throat and she hurried down the hallway. She burst into the kitchen and Mike greeted her with a confused expression. He stopped mid sentence and shrugged his shoulders at her.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Not a 'hello' or 'how'd you'd sleep?'.

"Where's Lana?" Bella asked, hearing the anger and fear in her voice. Mike looked around the kitchen as if she were sitting in the sink.

"I don't know," he said. "She woke up when I came home and I set her up with the TV in her bedroom because my game was on. She's not in her bedroom?"

"No, Mike, she's not," Bella said, pushing her hands through her hair. Where could she be? She left the kitchen and checked the living room and then the dining room. She opened the bathrooms and looked inside. Mike ended his phone call quickly and followed after his wife.

"I thought she was okay," he said. "She always sits in her room and watches TV."

"But you can't leave her alone!" Bella cried, hurrying back to her bedroom. Sam was still asleep but the room was still void of her daughter.

"I didn't leave her alone," Mike said, frustrated. "I was in here and you were in your bedroom."

"Sometimes you remind me of a twelve-year-old boy," Bella groaned, returning to Lana's bedroom. She gave the room a once over again and noticed that something had changed. The TV was no longer playing Bear in the Big Blue House. The channel had been changed since she'd last been there.

"Twelve? What are you talking about?" Mike asked, standing in the doorway. Bella stepped into the room and checked the closet.

"Just… nevermind, Mike," Bella said. "Go watch your game, make your dinner. It's obviously more important than this."

"You know what?" Mike asked but Bella didn't answer him. "I've had a long day and I don't feel like dealing with your attitude. You sit at home all day, resting with the kids, and I work hard for you. I don't want to come home and get bitched at for doing _your_ job."

Bella wanted to give up her search and reach out and strangle her husband. But she couldn't give up on Lana.

"Lana?" she called, ignoring Mike and he returned to the living room. Bella heard a rustle and slowly Lana peeked her head out from under her bed. She smiled up at Bella.

"Hi mam," she said, using one of her many titles for her mother. "I played hide and see." Bella's heart rate slowly lowered and she kneeled down to the floor. She helped her daughter out from under the bed and she stood in front of her. Pulling her into a hug, she embraced her tightly and then kissed her forehead.

"You scared me," Bella said, pushing her hand over Lana's hair. The little girl handed Bella the remote to her TV and pointed to it.

"I don't know where Bear go," she said, referring to the Disney channel show that had previously been on the TV. Bella smiled softly and changed the channel for her effortlessly.

"There he is," she said, standing up. She directed Lana back to her bed and made sure she was sitting and happy before she backed away. "You keep watching Bear and I'll make you some dinner, okay? No more hiding."

"No hiding," she repeated, nodding her head but her eyes never left the TV. Bella left the door open, walked down the hallway and checked on Sam before she proceeded to the kitchen where Mike was busy opening a package of hot dogs over a pot of simmering water.

"Let me tell you that I did not just sit around all day, Mike," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I had to take Lana to the hospital today because it turns out she's allergic to mayonnaise. I spent half of my day in the emergency room praying that she wouldn't swallow her tongue or that she wouldn't scratch the skin off of her face because it was itching so badly."

Mike stopped what he was doing and looked at her with unsympathetic eyes. He hadn't always been this way. Once upon a time Mike had been everything Bella had ever dreamed of. He was sweet and kind and so funny. Through her first and second year of college, she was so in love with him and everything that he was. When they decided upon their future after learning about her first pregnancy, he seemed genuinely interested in taking care of Bella and their baby. After he graduated and then after Lana was born, he started to change. He grew distant and was more focused on his budding career than his family. Bella hadn't wanted to be pregnant again because she was worrying enough about her family when she only had one child. Mike only confirmed her fears. He no longer wanted the things that he'd promised her.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked.

"What would you have done?" Bella asked. "'Oh baby, I'm sorry. I'm in a meeting. Good luck.'"

"Bella… I would not have done that," he said. "I love Lana and you know that. I care about what happens to her just as much as you do. I would have appreciated it if you would have called me."

"Well, I didn't because I had it under control," Bella said, wanting to believe his answer. "And Lana is fine now. Please don't feed her mayonnaise."

"I won't," he said, shaking his head. He went back to his hot dogs. Bella stayed quiet and just watched him.

"Are you making dinner?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"I figured I would since you were asleep," he said. She shook her head and stepped up to him. She took the package from him and he stepped back gently.

"I'm awake now," she said. "I'll make something better than this."

"All right," Mike said, brushing his hands off on his jeans. She looked away from him as she turned on the oven but his hand found her chin and he turned her face to his.

"I love you, Bella," he said. "Okay?" He kissed her and she returned it softly. She was still so angry with him for being so careless with Lana. She wanted to hurt him. Her children were all that she had here and if she lost either of them, she would die.

"Okay," she said but it was not the answer that he wanted to hear because he turned and left the kitchen with an angry sigh. With shaking hands, Bella replaced the hot dogs in the refrigerator and pulled out a box of frozen lasagna. She set it on the counter and rested her hands on either side of it, leaning over it. She closed her eyes and pulled in a heavy breath. She wanted to be back in Seattle in the small, cozy kitchen of their old house but instead she was surrounded by a high tech modernized kitchen and her family was eating off of paper plates with plastic spoons.

"I hate it here," she whispered quietly to herself as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Opening them slowly, she looked down at the box of lasagna and took a deep breath. She wiped her eyes gently and regained her composure. She had to get dinner on the table before Sam woke up. There weren't time for tears.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

The sun was high overhead as Edward Cullen stepped onto the back deck of his downtown Chicago apartment. Gripping a hot coffee cup in one hand, he placed the other on the edge of the railing around his deck and looked over. On the street below, his wife Jessica had parallel parked in front of the building and was unloading his two children from her car. Alex was first, his dark blonde hair shining in the summer sun. Carlie was next and Jessica pulled her from the car seat and then into her arms.

It was his weekend with the kids. He'd had them a few days before but only because Jessica had a doctor's appointment. Ever since Edward had suggested that they separate, she'd been a bitch about letting him see his kids. He'd even given her their house and he had moved into a two bedroom apartment that was up the street from the body shop. He'd sacrificed for her and she'd still taken the two things that meant more to him than anything else in the world. She might have been able to live through their failing marriage but he couldn't do it. He needed to get away from her.

From inside the apartment, the buzzer rang for his door bell and he left the porch and pushed the button, allowing Jessica and the kids allowance into the building. Three minutes later, they were on his floor and Jessica's delicate knock signaled their arrival. Dressed only in flannel pajama pants and a coffee cup, he opened the door.

"Good morning," he said, with a smug smile. His hair was tousled and his sheets were imprinted on his face. He would have enjoyed sleeping in but Jessica insisted that she bring the kids by at exactly eight o'clock in the morning. Therefore, Edward had slept in until seven forty five before he woke himself up.

"Hi dad," Alex said, happily as he stepped past his father and hurried into the apartment.

"Hey," Edward said, letting him pass. He watched him move to the couch and then turned his eyes back to Jessica who was looking at him with raised eyebrows. He smiled.

"You could have at least put on a shirt," she said.

"Oh, don't tell me that you don't like it," he said, raising his cup to his lips. He took a long, hot drink of the black coffee and then smiled as his daughter finally realized she was going to be handed over to her father. A broad smile crossed her lips and she reached out for him which made Edward grin deliciously. From the day that she was born Carlie had always been a daddy's girl. He shifted his coffee cup and took her as Jessica leaned in closer. Carlie buried her face into Edward's neck and he kissed her temple gently.

"They haven't had breakfast yet," Jessica said, as she set Carlie's diaper bag beside the door. "I was in a hurry and I figured that you'd be okay with feeding them."

"They're not a burden or anything," Edward said. "It's not like you're forcing me to have them. I _like_ having them with me and yes, I can feed them and will be happy to do it so thank you for allowing me that pleasure."

She shook her head and took a deep breath and stepped back.

"All right. All right," she said. "Enough with the hostility, Edward. I'll go. I'll be back for them on Monday morning before you have to head over to the shop."

"Okay," Edward said. "Say bye to mom, guys."

"Bye mom," Alex called from the living room. Edward moved Carlie's arm so that she waved goodbye. Jessica blew them kisses and Edward dodged it so that it wouldn't hit him. Jessica scowled and he laughed as he shut the door.

It wasn't that he hated his wife, he'd just grown tired of her. Their marriage had become boring. He attributed it to the fact that they'd started too young and had accomplished everything that they'd wanted to do before they'd ever really had the chance to enjoy it. One kid right after another and before they knew it they were closing in on their fourth wedding anniversary and both of them had forgotten. Between work, moving from Seattle back to Chicago, and the new business, they'd lost their spark. She was still beautiful and she was still a wonderful mother but he felt as if they only existed for each other now. The passion was gone. They were fighting constantly about the smallest things. They'd lost their patience and their tolerance for each other.

Although Edward was the one who had suggested that they separate, Jessica had hesitantly agreed that it was for the best. But despite her best efforts to make him pay for bringing it up at all, Edward was determined that by the time they decided on a divorce, he would have a good fight prepared to have joint custody of his kids.

"All right, guys," Edward said, turning back towards Alex. He set his coffee cup on the shelf by the door and adjusted Carlie in his arms. He kissed the tip of her nose and she smiled happily. "What do you guys want to do today? Anything at all. We'll do it."

"Let's go to the park!" Alex shouted and jumped and down from his place near the coffee table. "Park! Park!"

Edward laughed, somehow amused by the fact that he knew his son would suggest the park as their destination. It was his favorite place to be and Edward didn't mind going because he could sit in the grass with Carlie, catch up on a good novel, listen to his iPod, and enjoy his day off under the sun.

An hour later, he found himself doing just that. Lying on his stomach, Edward faced the playground so he could keep an eye on his son. He'd peed in the sand box the week before and Edward wasn't about to see a reoccurrence of that. Although a really pretty woman had caught his eye through out that whole ordeal… but, nonetheless, he wouldn't let it happen again. With Carlie playing in the grass beside him, a hat on her head and her limbs covered in sun block, Edward was set to enjoy his afternoon.

Every five minutes or so he looked up from his book, an old British classic that he'd found at an antique book store in Seattle and made sure that Alex was not getting into trouble. He found him in the sand box again and so Edward put his book down and kept this gaze on his son. Alex was sitting in the sand beside a small, brunette girl about his age and he was talking animatedly with his hands, no doubt explaining how to make a magnificent sand castle like the ones that his uncles had made him on the beaches on the east coast. The little girl just watched him patiently but Edward could tell that she was eager to get a word in too. Just when he was about to turn away, assured that Alex was not mixing up any trouble, he noticed the pretty girl sitting in the grass at the opposite side of the park.

She was resting on a blanket, with a small baby stretched out beside her. She was facing the sky, her eyes closed, and her skin bathed in shadows. Her chesnut hair was free and lying wild on the blanket. She was wearing simple blue jeans and a light yellow tank top. Her sandals were lying in the grass beside her blanket and a stroller was parked on the opposite side. Intrigued, Edward pulled himself up slowly and dog-eared his page. He set the book down on his own blanket and glanced to Carlie. She was sitting in the grass, happily snacking from the bag of Cheerios that he'd given her a few minutes before.

_How to get her attention…_ he thought, as if he were reading a self help book designed for this specific occasion. He pictured the title in his head. "How to Pick Up Hot Moms at the Park". He laughed to himself as he realized how ridiculous that sounded. Obviously, if she was a mom then she was most likely married. But that didn't mean he wasn't allowed curiosity. Judging by the woman's vicinity to the sand box and the way that she would methodically glance in that general direction, the little girl that was playing with Alex was her daughter.

After standing up, Edward lifted Carlie into his arms, replaced her Cheerios in the diaper bag, and then strolled confidently to the sand box. With a nod, he grinned to Alex as they approached. He sat on the wooden edge of the box and gently lowered Carlie into the sand. He knew that he would have to give both her and her brother a bath when they returned to the apartment but he didn't mind. Meeting a pretty girl would be worth the trouble.

"Hey guys," Edward said, as he positioned Carlie between his legs. She reached out and dug her fingers into the sand, amazed by it.

"Dat's my dad," Alex said, proudly and pointed to Edward. He was looking at the little girl. She turned and looked at Edward and gave him a dramatic but genuine grin, the kind that only a three-year-old could get away with.

"Hi!" she said. "I'm Lana." Her words were fluent and he understood them.

"Hello Lana," he said, tipping his head to her. She giggled and pushed her orange plastic shovel deep into the sand.

"Dis is LiLi," Alex said, scooting closer to his sister. He tugged at the pant leg of her jeans and then patted her knee in an awkwardly affectionate way. Edward laughed, still amused with the title that Alex had given his sister. She had been born when he was only 2 and he was still learning his words. He couldn't say Carlie so her name had turned into LiLi.

"LiLi!" Lana cried and burst into hysterics at the sound of the name. Just as Edward had hoped it would, her laughter caught her mother's attention. The woman looked up and at the sight of Edward sitting in the sandbox with the kids, her gaze lingered. Without being obvious, he watched as she turned over onto her stomach and sat up slowly. She fussed with her baby and then slowly she rose to her feet and with him nestled in her arms, she made her way to the sandbox.

Edward looked away, pretending not to be interested and focused on burying Carlie's legs with sand. She was amused and sat still, letting him do so. Just as the woman stepped up to the sand box, Edward lifted Carlie and she watched happily as the sand dispersed from her legs and fell back to the ground. He lowered her back into the sand and let her recreate the same burial process as he turned his eyes to the woman as she sat down on the opposite edge of the sand box.

"Hello," she said, smiling softly. Her eyes were beautiful and Edward noticed that they were a light brown color with a hint of yellow. He'd never seen that before. Her hair was light brown and streaked with the sun. Her face was round and her smile brilliant. She was gorgeous.

"Hi," Edward answered, with a sexy smile. Her smile widened and he knew that he had her then. Did she remember him from the week before? How often did she come to the park and have young fathers smile at her? Would he stick in her mind?

"I thought I'd come over here and see what had made Lana laugh so loudly," she said. "I was hoping that someone hadn't peed in the sand box again." Edward laughed and his cheeks flushed red. Alex hadn't even heard. He was bossing Lana and telling her how to make the perfect castle moat.

"No," Edward said, smiling. "We all used the bathroom before we came this time. That won't happen again." He watched as she let her baby dip his feet into the sand. She held onto him, keeping her grip under his arms.

"Well, at least Lana's making friends," she said. "She's usually pushing kids off of the slides or biting them." Edward laughed.

"Well, Alex's usually the one with the bite marks so I think it's a good balance," he said. And then she smiled widely and Edward grinned, taking the opportunity to introduce himself.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he said, reaching his hand out to her. She met his hand with hers and Edward noticed a wedding band and small diamond ring on her left ring finger. He'd taken his wedding ring off a few days before, sure that he wouldn't need it anymore. Neither he nor Jessica had discussed getting back together. It just seemed that the answer was clear.

"Bella Newton," she said, smiling gently. "This is my son, Sam." She bounced her baby in the sand and he laughed happily. "And I'm sure that Lana's already introduced herself."

"Oh, has she ever," Edward said, winking at Lana when she glanced up to him. She smiled and turned back to the castle that they were slowly building. It was more like a pile of sand but Edward wasn't about to point that out. He picked up Carlie and lifted her onto her feet. She stood between his legs and held onto his knees as she stomped on the sand.

"This is Carlitta," he said. "My baby girl. We call her Carlie though."

"Nuh uh," Alex interjected. "LiLi!" Lana burst into a fit of giggles again and fell over onto her side in the sand. Bella moved to pick her up but realized that it wouldn't do any good. The little girl was already rolling in the sand. She waved her off and then smiled back at Edward.

"Carlie," she said. "That's such a pretty name"

"Thanks. It fits her perfectly. So, are you from around the area?" he asked.

"No, I'm from a small town in Washington." She answered timidly.

"Washington, huh?" he asked. "What are you doing out here?"

"My husband's job," she said, her tone suddenly growing sad. Although upset to learn that she did, in fact, have a husband Edward smiled. He sensed that she was too far away from home and that she hated being here. He hoped that she was in search of a friend.

"Well… I hope that you're doing well here," he said, smiling. "We're always happy to make some new friends here at the park." She smiled and he saw a glimmer of something flicker in her eyes. Hope, gratitude. He wasn't sure but it was something and it was beautiful. She was beautiful. He wished that she wasn't married.

"It will be good to have new friends," she said. "I was hoping I could find some kids Lana's age that she could play with."

"Alex's here to play and I'm sure that Sam and Carlie have some common interests. Sleeping, eating their feet," Edward said, and he smiled as Bella laughed. Her laugh was beautiful and her face bright. She looked no more than 22 years old yet she had two children and a husband at home. Had her life been as tangled as his? Where had she been when she was 19 years old? Cradling a baby? Wearing a wedding ring? Was she happy?

"And now the park will be more exciting," she said, adjusting Sam so that he was sitting in the sand at her feet. He pawed at the sand and smiled at it as if he'd never seen something so amazing before.

Her children were beautiful, balanced and consistent. Lana's hair was the same golden color as her mothers and although Sam's was slightly darker, he had his mother's face and her eyes. Edward's children were different, contrasting. Alex's dark blonde hair stood out against his sister's dark locks. Neither of them looked much like he did. Carlie was a mirror image of her mother and Alex looked like… well, Edward wasn't sure half of the time but he did have Jessica's face. In the beginning he'd even questioned his involvement in Alex's conception but after a while, it didn't seem important anymore. The truth was that he loved his son no matter what and nothing would change that.

"Do you want to meet here with the kids again tomorrow?" Edward asked, after a few moments of silence had passed. Bella had turned her attention to Lana who was putting sand in her hair. After brushing her hand through the little girl's hair, she looked up to Edward and smiled.

"Yes," she said her voice soft and gentle without any hidden agenda or reluctance. She wanted to see him again and even if it was only because she wanted her children to have playmates, Edward was okay with that.

"Are we comin' again?" Alex cried, picking up on the adults conversation. He stood up quickly, throwing sand from his plastic pail. It rocketed into the air and came straight down, blanketing Lana's hair and face. She screeched in surprise… maybe pain but Edward wasn't sure. He moved quickly, pulling Alex away before Lana had the chance to grab for him… should that be her reaction.

"Mooooommy!" she cried, tears instantly falling from her eyes and mixing with the sand on her cheeks. Without a word, Bella shoved Sam at Edward. He pushed Alex off to the side, away from the scene and adjusted Carlie in the sand before he took the baby from his new friend and rested him on his knee. Carlie watched the new baby curiously as if she were examining her competition. While Bella attended to her crying child, Edward looked down at Sam who was looking back at him with wide eyes and a sandy fist shoved inside of his mouth.

"Don't eat that," Edward said, reaching out to him. He pulled Sam's hand away and smiled down at him. The baby smiled back and then tossed his hands through the air happily, oblivious to the fact that his big sister was miserable. Edward laughed gently and kept a strong hold on the baby until his mom was available again.

"I'm sorry," Bella said, once she had Lana's cries down to a dull roar. The little girl had stood up and was standing beside her mother with a red face and gentle tears. Small cries escaped her lips but she kept sending Alex nasty glances. The little boy just leaned against his father, upset that he had made his friend cry but not sure how to handle it.

"No. It's me who should be apologizing," Edward said, as he returned Sam back to his mother. Bella held him against her hip and took Lana's hand. "I'm the father of the sandbox monster." Bella laughed and it made Edward smile.

"Well, I'm glad… I'm glad that I met you today… even if it ended like this," she said, tossing her head back gently so that her hair fell away from her eyes. "Maybe we'll stay away from the sandbox next time."

"Tomorrow," Edward said, reminding her that they'd made plans. She nodded and smiled.

"Tomorrow," she repeated as she stepped away from the sandbox, her children in hand.

"Bye Bella," Edward called, watching her go as she turned around and took her children back to their blanket in the grass. Taking a deep breath, Edward smiled and turned back to Alex who was looking back at him with guilty eyes.

"You may be a pain in the butt, kid," he said, poking him in the belly gently. "But I love you." He kissed Alex's forehead and smiled as he helped Carlie up and took her hand. With Alex holding onto his other hand, he led his children back to their own blanket, a smile on his face the whole time.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Bella stepped into her bedroom, rubbing a towel through her damp hair. As she stepped into her closet to change her clothes, she glanced to her children. They were both asleep on her bed, Lana's arms curled over Sam's protruding belly. Their chests rose and fell evenly and their eyes fluttered gently behind their closed eyelids. She smiled as she discarded her towel and slipped into her underwear and a pair of sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt from Mike's drawer.

After she'd returned home from the park, she'd put the kids in a bath in hopes that she'd wash the sand from their bodies and clean them up before she laid them down for a nap. The bath had been successful. After she'd put both Sam and Lana into their pajamas and had laid down with them to watch a Blue's Clues video, they'd fallen straight asleep. Once she was sure that they were fast asleep and safe, she took a shower and washed her hair, something that she hadn't been able to do alone in months.

After she'd secured her wet hair in a French braid, Bella climbed into bed beside her children and pulled the blanket up and over their bodies. She pulled in close to Lana and kissed the top of her head softly. Bella closed her eyes and took another breath, pulling in the scent of her daughter. Baby powder and soap. It was her favorite scent now, the most familiar and comforting. Growing up she'd used to love the smell of peonies, a flower that had grown on the bushes behind her parent's house in Seattle. In college, she'd grown accustomed to the smell of Mike's cologne, musty yet comforting. When she'd wake up and smell him on her pillows and her clothes, she'd go through the day with Mike on her mind, a constant reminder that she'd finally found someone who loved her. But after they'd gotten married and Bella moved away from her parents and the peonies, Mike began changing his scent, experimenting with new cologne and none of them had been as good as the one that Bella had grown so accustomed to. She needed a new scent to fall in love with and when Lana was born, she found it.

"You smell like the kids," Mike would say to her as they fell asleep at night. She was never sure if he was complimenting her or not. She'd spent so much time away from perfume and scented body sprays that she'd learned how to live without them. She found herself using baby lotion to moisturize and No Tears instead of regular shampoo. She was a mother and until her children were old enough to be independent of her, she would continue giving her life away to them, even if it meant giving up her favorite things.

But despite how much of her life she'd given up to have her children, they did bring good things to her as well. She had constant companionship. She was never alone because she always had her children with her. She always had love because there were no two souls who loved her more than Lana and Sam. She had laughter because her babies were always making her laugh. And now… she had Edward.

She'd been thinking about him all day. Since they'd left his side at the park, she couldn't get him off of her mind. He hadn't even done anything or said anything that was especially memorable. He had just been there right where she needed him to be. She hadn't even known that she'd needed him until she'd gotten home. She wasn't sure if it was his smile or his easy going personality… or even the fact that he was gorgeous but something about him had created in Bella a brand new warmth. He had beautiful children and even from their fifteen minutes in the sandbox, she could tell that he was a good father and that he loved his kids. She wished that Mike would take the kids to the park and let Bella have a day off, a day to herself. She hadn't noticed if Edward had a wedding ring on his finger or not but if he did have a wife, she was probably happy with him and their marriage was perfect.

Bella sighed softly and draped her arm over her children. She leaned over Lana and kissed Sam's cheek softly. She kissed Lana's temple softly and then settled gently against the pillow. With her children held close to her heart, Bella drifted slowly into sleep wishing behind closed eyelids for a change in her life.

"Bella… wake up," Mike said. Roused from sleep by his voice, Bella pulled away from the warmth of her children. She rubbed at her eyes and then opened them slowly. Her husband was standing at the foot of the bed, loosening his tie. He smiled when she looked at him.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking down to her children. Lana was still sleeping but Sam looked up at her with wide, quiet eyes. She smiled to him and sat up slowly.

"Get up, take a shower, and dress nice. We're going out tonight," he said, a wide smile crossing his lips. His cheeks were red and his hair flustered. He seemed so eager. Bella smiled and shook her head in confusion.

"What? The kids, Mike," she said, still only halfway coherent. She was still lost in her dreams where Edward Cullen was her hero and there were no children there.

"I called a babysitter for the night," he said. "She'll be here in half an hour."

"Mike…" Bella protested. He hadn't warned her ahead of time. She was still recovering from her nap and she was not in the mood to spend a night out. It would be nice but on any other night it would have been more appropriate.

"Bella," Mike said, laughing. He leaned over the foot of the bed, took hold of her hands and pulled her the length of the bed. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her quickly. "Just do it. I'll keep Sam entertained for a bit." He slapped her butt gently and she hopped toward the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Bella was ready. She'd brought her prep time down after having had her kids. After a ten minute shower she could successfully dress, apply a little bit of make-up, and tease her hair into submission all within a fifteen minute period. She stepped into the living room wearing a black dress that gently hugged her curves and fell just above her knees. The straps were small and traveled over her shoulders and connected to either side of the dress, crossing against her back. She'd released her hair from the braid and had let the waves fall against her back and had pinned it up at the side with identical barrettes.

Smiling, she entered the room and found Mike sitting on the couch with Lana in his lap. The babysitter, a pretty bronze-haired girl with a dazzling smile, was sitting in the arm chair with Sam on her knee.

"Hello," Bella said, stepping up to the back of the couch. Mike tipped his head and looked up to her with a smile.

"Hey baby," he said, slipping Lana off of his lap and onto the couch. She sat there quietly, still recovering from her long nap. Mike stood up quickly and walked up to his wife. Bella noticed that his actions seemed jerky and he appeared nervous.

"This is our babysitter, Bree Cullen," he said, slipping his arm along Bella's lower back. The name caught in Bella's ear and she smiled at the girl.

"Hello," she said. "I'm Bella."

"Hi," Bree said with a gentle wave. Mike kissed Bella's temple quickly.

"I'm going to change," he said. "I'll be right back. Show her the ropes." Bella nodded and watched him go. Once the bedroom door closed she looked back to Bree and smiled as she crossed around the front of the couch and sat beside Lana, draping one leg over the other.

"Thank you," Bella smiled, leaning over. She kissed the top of Lana's head and let the little girl lean into her. "They're pretty well behaved. They've been asleep all day so I wouldn't expect too much from them at bed time. Just give Sam a bottle of formula at about eight thirty and keep Lana entertained with Toon Disney and a bag or two of fruit snacks."

Bree nodded.

"Our phone numbers are on the refrigerator. My cell phone and Mike's. The kids doctor is on there as well as the hospital and the police," she said. "But you probably knew all of that."

"Yeah, but it makes the parents feel better," Bree said. Bella liked her. She had a bright, confident smile and thick, long bronze hair that was pushed behind her ears and cascaded down her back. She was modest and sweet and Bella believed that she could trust the girl with her children.

"All right, babe," Mike said, emerging from the bedroom in slacks and a white collared shirt. He pulled a suit jacket over it and stepped into the living with a smile. Bella took note of his scent… a cologne she didn't recognize. She wondered when he'd bought a new one.

"All ready?" he asked, as if she were a child. He looked down at her hopefully. She wondered why everything felt so awkward. She gave him a smile and nodded. She moved away from Lana and stood up.

"Lana, mommy and daddy are going to go out for a little while, okay? You're going to stay here with our new friend, Bree. She'll let you watch Blues' Clues and you can have some Fruities, okay?" Bella said as she kneeled down to her daughter's level. Lana looked up at her with sleepy eyes.

"Okay," Lana said. Was it supposed to be that easy? Bella had never left her children alone before. Wasn't Lana supposed to beg her to stay? Cry and kick and scream? Did she really not care that her mother was leaving her?

"You'll be good for Bree, won't you?" she asked her daughter. Lana turned her eyes to her mother and nodded gently. "And help her take care of Sam, okay?"

"Okay, Bella, baby. They'll be fine," Mike laughed and took hold of Bella's elbow. He pulled her away from Lana and she stumbled backwards, surprised by her husbands fast movements. She smiled awkwardly, confused by Mike's strange behavior.

"Bye babies," Bella said, giving them one last wave. "Bye Bree. Take care of them." She smiled to their new babysitter and Bree smiled back.

"I will. I promise," she said.

Thirty minutes later, Bella found herself sitting across from her husband at Giancarlo's, an Italian restaurant in downtown Chicago. He seemed fidgety and took long drinks from his wine glass. They'd barely spoken any words and Bella felt awkward. She'd rather be at home watching videos with Lana while Sam fell asleep in her lap with a bottle.

"So, what's this about?" Bella asked, resting her forearms on the table in front of her. She offered Mike a smile and he returned it quickly.

"I just wanted to take you out," he said. "We haven't been out since Sam was born and I thought that it was long overdue. Can I not take you out? The kids are fine."

"Yes… you can," Bella said. "And I know they're fine but I never… I haven't left them alone before."

"Well, Bree will call if there's a problem," Mike said, taking another sip of his wine. Bella nodded and sighed softly as she picked up her water glass. She'd refrained from drinking any wine. She'd never liked it much. In college she'd only been drunk once or twice and she hadn't liked it either time. Once she was pregnant, she'd had to give up alcohol and once Lana was born, Bella never found time to drink again.

"So… how was work today?" she finally asked. They were waiting for their waiter to return with their orders. Mike set his glass down and looked up at her with a smile.

"Good. It was good. We're working on a new internet advertising campaign for a company in New York," he said. "So, we've all been pretty busy with that. Long hours and a lot of work. How was your day?"

Bella smiled, remembering her afternoon at the park. Edward was etched in her mind, his smile and his eyes. She'd been dreaming of his lips all night. She'd never kissed anyone other than Mike. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be with Edward.

"We went to the park," she said.

"Again?" Mike asked, interrupting her.

"Yes," Bella said, impatiently. "Lana and Sam love going there. It's better than sitting in the house watching TV all day. We made some new friends there."

"Really?" Mike asked.

"Really," Bella said, defending herself. It was as if Mike didn't believe Bella could have any other friends besides her children. Had he moved her out here because of that? Keep her away from everything she's ever known? So she'd remain loyal to him and the children because she has no one else? Was that how it worked? She refrained from telling Mike the rest of her story. She didn't feel that he deserved to know. If he wasn't going to make her happy, she wasn't going to let him in on the things that did. She didn't want him to take them away from her.

The rest of dinner was quiet and interrupted with awkward conversation. Bella remembered when she and Mike could go to dinner and talk about everything. He listened to her as she talked about her classes and her room mate, her family, her friends, her latest dream, her future dreams. He was interested then and now it was if they strived to find things to talk about. The dinner ended with a $90 check and a quiet drive back to their house. As far as Bella was concerned, it had been a waste of two hours.

Inside of the house, Mike and Bella found Bree sitting in the living room with Lana's head rested in her lap. The little girl was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling evenly. Bree looked up from the TV which was quietly playing an old episode of Saturday Night Live on the E! channel.

"Hey," Bree said, quietly.

"Hi," Bella smiled as she stepped into the living room. She wanted to stay and talk to Bree and find who she was and about her family, if she was related to a certain Cullen. She was desperate for a friend even if it was a seventeen year old girl. Mike waved and hurried back into the bedroom where Bella was sure he'd turn on the news and find out the scores to the games that he'd missed during dinner.

"How long has she been asleep?" Bella asked, sitting down in the arm chair across from Bree. She glanced down to Lana as Bree ran her fingers through the little girls hair gently. Lana's eyes fluttered softly. She looked so peaceful and beautiful, perfect.

"About an hour," Bree said. "I think she's getting a cold or something. She started sneezing right after you left and her nose has been running. I found some Kleenex and some cold medicine and she fell asleep almost instantly."

"Well… I don't want her to be sick but it will be good for her to get some rest," Bella said, resting her elbows on her knees. She leaned forward and smiled wearily. "The little girl wears me out."

"I can't believe that," Bree said, laughing. "She just sat on the couch in one place all evening. After Sam fell asleep and I laid him down, Lana was in the same place when I came back. She hadn't moved a muscle."

"She probably saves her energy for me," Bella said, smiling. "So Sam was good then too?"

"For the most part. He pretty much just cried himself to sleep," Bree said. "Once he realized that you were gone, he got pretty upset." Bella sighed.

"I've never left them alone before," she said. "Not even for two hours. I expected it to be harder on Lana though. Good thing I know how they react now."

"Well, they're good kids. I'd love to baby sit again. Whenever you need me," she said. Bella smiled and slowly stood up. She moved to the couch and helped Bree lift Lana's head. Bella replaced a pillow under her daughter's head and stepped aside as Bree stood up.

"I'd love to have you again," Bella said, moving toward the foyer. "Let me get you some money." Bree followed her and Bella picked up her purse off of the table beside the door. She opened her wallet and fished out a twenty and a ten. She handed the money to Bree and smiled.

"I hope $15 dollars an hour is all right," she said. "I used to baby sit a lot and that rate always worked the best for me." Bree nodded and smiled as she pocketed the money.

"It's perfect," she said. "I'm so used to baby sitting my niece and nephew for free that any amount of money would be fine."

Bella smiled. "I assume that my husband has your phone number?" she asked. Bree nodded.

"Yes," she said.

"Good. Then I'll call you again whenever I need you," she said, stepping up to the door. She opened it and ushered Bree outside.

"Thank you, Mrs. Newton," she said.

"Call me Bella," she said. "I'm not much older than you are. It's all right if we go by our first names." Bree smiled.

"All right. Thank you Bella," she said, and hopped off of the porch. Bella smiled and waved goodbye, making sure that she made it to her car safely. She watched her pull away and disappear down the street. Taking a deep breath, she returned to the house and scooped Lana into her arms.

After tucking her daughter into bed and turning on Lana's night light, she checked on Sam and made sure that he was safe. She kissed his forehead gently and adjusted his blankets before she journeyed back to the bedroom where the TV was quietly playing footage from the latest car crash on the Interstate. Mike was in the bathroom, the water running quietly. Bella yawned as she stepped up to the closet and discarded her dress. She replaced it on its hanger and quickly changed into a pajama set of light blue shorts and a matching tank top. She pulled the barrettes from her hair and ran her fingers through the tangles as she made her way back to the bed.

"Honey…" Bella called out as she pulled back the blankets.

"Hmph?" Mike grunted from the bathroom, his mouth full of toothpaste.

"How did you find Bree?" she asked, as she sat down on the bed and reached for her birth control pills. She took out the appropriate pill and popped it into her mouth. She washed it down with a drink of water from the bottle that she kept at her bedside.

"The internet," Mike said, after he rinsed his mouth. The water shut off and he stepped out of the bathroom dressed in only his boxers. Bella looked up to him as she lifted her legs into the bed and pushed them under the blankets.

"Baby sitters have internet ads now?" she asked. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"It's a private thing, I guess," he said, as he came to bed. He got under the blankets beside her and settled down against his pillows, reaching for the remote. He turned the TV off and set the remote on the night stand beside him.

"Oh," Bella said, not sure that she understood the process completely. Had he gone searching through a forum of available babysitters in the Chicago area? And how had he found the sister of Bella's new friend and guilty pleasure?

"It's just… I met Bree's older brother today at the park," Bella said. "He is that friend that I was telling you about. Well, his son befriended Lana so naturally I talked to him. But Bree is his younger sister."

"That's crazy," Mike said, with a small laugh. "How things work out. I heard about her from a friend and was told that I could find her resume online. And so I did."

"I like her," Bella said, smiling down at her husband. He was looking up at her with bedroom eyes. She knew what he wanted. Maybe that is why dinner had been so awkward. He was just eager to get home and finish their date.

He didn't respond to her. He waited until she laid down before he moved in close and kissed her softly. She brought her hand to his chest and the other to his waist. She kissed him back, his lips tasting like cool mint. It wasn't long before he'd taken off his boxers and her panties and was spreading her legs. She wasn't in the mood for sex but she'd already let him get this far. His lips trailed away from hers and he kissed her collarbone as he pushed into her, hard and deep. She winced slightly, not quite ready for the penetration and she tried to loosen her muscles. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of anything else that would lessen the discomfort that she was feeling.

And then she saw his face again, Edward Cullen smiling at her as Mike thrust into her. It was easy to put Edward's face on her husband's body. She kept her eyes closed and smiled as she realized how much easier it was for Mike to slide in and out as her thoughts of Edward increased her desire. She ran her hands over Mike's shoulders and gripped his skin tightly as he pushed deeper. Air escaped her lips and then sound. She moaned, Edward's eyes and smile etched into the back of her eyelids. She lifted her hips to Mike's as she felt her climax approaching. Mike's moans didn't deter Bella from her vision. She kept Edward steadfast in her mind and met each one of Mike's thrusts until an orgasm ripped through her muscles and caused her to buck her hips towards her husband's body. Mike released inside of her, filling her with warmth. They rode it out slowly, their breathing labored, until Mike collapsed on top of her and quickly pulled out. He rolled onto his back at her side but she didn't dare open her eyes. She just stayed in bed beside him, a happy smile still crossing her lips. For the first time since Sam was born, Bella had actually enjoyed sex with her husband.

_I could get used to this_, she thought as Mike adjusted the blankets over them again and curled up to her. She couldn't wait to see Edward again tomorrow. Maybe he would give her another smile that she could store away in her mind.

A/N: Yeah I know that you didn't really want a lemon that featured Bella and Mike. But be patient! I really don't want to push them into it just yet! More to come!


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Bella found that she couldn't make eye contact with him. Edward Cullen was sitting on the blanket across from her, smiling that smile that she knew by heart and she couldn't make eye contact with him. For ten minutes, ever since he'd shown up with his kids, she couldn't even so much as look at him for more than thirty seconds at a time. Every time that she did she felt all of the blood rush between her legs and she remembered the feeling of the orgasm that had ripped through her body the night before. And then the inevitable question passed through her mind. What would it really be like to have sex with Edward Cullen?

"So I heard that you met my little sister last night," Edward said, as he peeled an orange for Carlie who sat quietly between his legs, her eyes hidden behind a child's pair of pink Hello Kitty sunglasses. Occupying herself with Sam, Bella straightened the legs of his jeans and retied the laces on his baby Chucks. She smoothed his t-shirt over his belly and readjusted the ball cap on top of his head. He didn't protest. Like an addict he popped Cheerio after Cheerio into his mouth.

"Yeah," Bella said, smiling. She wondered if she'd brought her sunglasses. That would certainly help the situation. She didn't further the explanation. She reached for Sam's diaper bag and rifled through the contents. Lana's sunglasses. Sun block. Fruit snacks and apple juice. Aha. She found her sunglasses at the bottom and pulled them out and quickly put them on. When she looked at Edward, she found him smiling back at her, begging for more.

"She baby sat Lana and Sam," Bella said, as if Bree hadn't already explained it to Edward. Since Edward was asking, she assumed that she had done so.

"That's such a weird coincidence," he said. "Of all of the baby sitters in Chicago, your husband found my little sister. And on the day that I met you too. Does your husband know a Jessica Stanley?"

Bella shook her head. She didn't know any of her husbands colleagues or friends. He never mentioned anyone that he worked with.

"I really have no idea," she said. "Why?"

"Well, she's my ex-wife and I could only imagine that maybe your husband knows her somehow and she recommended Bree. She hasn't been sitting that long and I really don't know how else word could have gotten around so quickly."

Ex-wife. Bella smiled. "I don't know," she said. "I'm just happy to have her as a contact. She's so good with the kids."

"She is," he said. "She's been keeping an eye out for mine since Alex was a baby. She's going to be eighteen next month and I still believe that she's turning 25. She's so mature."

"I can tell that you really love her," Bella said, smiling. "You're close with all of your siblings?"

He nodded. "I am," he said. "It's how we were raised. We're a close family and we keep tabs on each other. We look out for each other. What about you? Do you have any siblings back home?"

"I do," she said. "A brother and a sister. Nessie, my sister, is 27 and she lives in Forks with her husband and my niece, Ashlyn. I have a little brother, Riley, and he's about Bree's age. He'll be eighteen in December."

"You miss them?" he asked.

"Like hell," she said, sadly. Suddenly it was easy for forget about her transgressions from the night before. She realized that she hadn't called Nessie since their last phone call a few days before. She had so much to tell her. About Edward and what had happened last night. And she hadn't called Riley or her parents since she'd moved in two weeks earlier. She was already losing touch with her past.

"And I take it your parents are back in Washington too?" he asked. Had she told him that she'd come from Washington? Of course she had or how else would he have known that. She couldn't remember.

"Yes," Bella said. "And they were devastated when I told them that we were moving. I've lived in Seattle my entire life, since the day that I was born. I went to UW Seattle and even though I lived in the dorms, I was home almost every night for dinner. When I was pregnant, I lived with my parents for the first six months until Michael got us an apartment. After we got married and Lana was born, if I wasn't visiting home, my mom and my sister were coming to me. It's hard to be away from them. I'm so family oriented and here I have nothing."

"But you have your husband," Edward said. "And your kids."

"The kids yes," Bella said, laughing. "The husband? Not so much." She glanced to the playground and watched as Alex and Lana climbed the slide. "Michael's been… lacking. I noticed it when Sam was born but ever since we moved it's been so much worse."

"Really? What's going on?" Edward asked. And then smiled. "If you don't mind my asking."

She looked up to him and met his gaze. She could tell that he was genuinely interested and it felt so good to have a friend to talk to. She hadn't been able to speak of Michael's failures as a husband to anyone. She hoped that Edward would understand. He was a divorcee but maybe he wasn't the one to blame. Maybe his wife had been the one to disappoint him.

"He's just consumed in his work," she said. "And when he's home, he's consumed in sports or Comedy Central. He hasn't brought any friends home yet but I'm dreading the day when he starts poker night or the Super Bowl parties. He's suddenly become such a man when before he was just…_Michael_."

"Ah yes. The dreaded man syndrome," Edward said, with a laugh. "I'd like to tell you that it's a phase but most of us never grow out of it."

"Are you just another man then?" Bella asked with a crooked smile. She wanted him to think that she was playing but she was seriously interested.

"Sometimes," he said. "But most of the time I'm just a hard-worker. A dad. A brother. A son. A friend. Once upon a time, a husband. I had my moments where my wife would want to hit me across the head but it was never for sports or poker or anything. I've never really been into that. Sometimes I just wanted a break from everything. Sometimes I just wanted to get out on my own and be twenty three years old. Throw back a couple of beers, listen to a good band, be with friends. I'm not asking for much."

"I know what you mean," Bella said, longingly. "I feel like I'm constantly at war with Michael to take responsibility for the kids. I love my children but sometimes I'd like to be able to get out and meet people, find out what this city is about. It's hard to do that when you're restricted to parks and playgrounds. No offense or anything."

"None taken," Edward said, laughing. "I'm restricted to the same fate. Well… not really. My wife… ex-wife… has the kids most of the time but when I don't have them, I'm usually working so I don't get to go out anyway."

"You keep saying that she's your ex-wife," Bella said, hoping she wasn't being too nosy. "Do you mind telling me what happened?"

"No," Edward said, shaking his head. "Technically, we're not divorced only separated but it's been in the works for about two months now. We just… I don't know. We sort of just realized that our marriage wasn't working anymore. Nothing was as it used to be. The passion and the love were fading. We were growing bored. Jessica told me that she'd thought about cheating on me and I confessed that I'd considered the same. I was the one who suggested the separation and Jessica went along with it. It was just something that we knew we needed to do. Not only for us but for the kids. It would be better for them to be with us separately then with us together and listen to us fighting all of the time."

"That almost sounds like Michael and I," Bella said, relating to Edward's story. Michael may not have noticed the changes but Bella certainly did. What would his reaction be if she were to bring it up?

"Have you talked to him about it?" Edward asked. Bella picked up Sam and set him in her lap. She cleared the soggy Cheerio's from the front of his shirt and his cheeks and tossed them behind her for the birds. She wiped his face and returned him to the blanket, close to Carlie.

"No," Bella said. "I'm afraid that he doesn't think that anything is wrong with our relationship. If I bring it up, I don't want him to be upset with me."

"But if you speak up, maybe you can save your marriage," Edward suggested. Bella only nodded. She didn't respond. She wasn't sure that she wanted her marriage to be saved. She'd been happy being Michael's girlfriend and fiancé but being his wife was somehow different, less glamorous. With the ring on her finger, Bella felt as if she'd lost her appeal. She was no longer something that Michael could show off but rather an excuse that he could use to get out of work or a boring meeting.

"I'm just… I think I need a break from him," she said. "That's why I like coming here. Even before I met you, it was nice to come here and just breathe in the open air. It's so beautiful here and the kids are so happy when they can play. But now that I've met you… it's a comfort. You've been good for me so far."

He smiled widely and his lips curled, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. His cheeks were red from the cool, summer breeze and his hair blew delicately across his forehead. He reached up and brushed it away, behind his ear.

"I'm always happy to be of service," he said, smiling. "I'm glad that I've met you too. I feel like I've been locked away from the world since the separation."

The rest of the afternoon panned out perfectly. Bella, Edward, and the children stayed at the park for the remainder of the day, reapplying sun screen and buying snow cones and lemonade from the ice cream truck that passed by every half an hour. By five o'clock the kids were tired and Bella and Edward had exchange their life stories. Although Edward's was far more extensive and much more interesting than Bella's, he'd remained interested with her every word, eager to find out about her life in Washington. As they packed up their strollers and wrangled their children into sweatshirts, they made plans to see each other again for the street fair that was being held downtown the following weekend. Just in case something else came up during the week, Edward took Bella's phone number and promised that he'd call. 

Following the same routine, Bella took the kids home, gave them a bath, and laid them down for a late nap. While they slept she unpacked a little more and then called Nessie, hoping that her sister would be available.

"Hello. Black residence," Ashlyn asked, her voice ringing sweetly through the phone. She was so polite and mature. Bella smiled to hear her voice.

"Hi Ash," she said. "It's Aunt Bella."

"BELLA!" she cried, happily. Now she sounded like a six year old again. "HI!"

"Hey sweetie," Bella said, laughing as she sat down on the couch. "How're you doing?"

"Good! I'm in gymnastics and I have a meet on Sunday! I'm really, really, really good at cartwheels," she boasted. "I can do five in a row!"

"Whoa!" Bella said, the smile static on her face. "I wish that I could see it!"

"You can! My mom has it on the video tape!" Ashlyn beamed. "I'll make sure that she sends it to you, okay?"

"Okay," Bella said. "Are you ready for school to start? What grade are you in now, Ash? Second?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna be in second grade," she said. "My teacher's name is Mrs. Pogo. Like the stick! Pogo stick!"

"That's really cool!" Bella said. "I bet you're excited."

"Yeah!" Ashlyn cried. "What's Lana doin'?"

"She's sleeping right now. She's been playing at the park all day with Sam and her friends," she said. "But she'd love to say hi. Next time, when she's awake, I'll make sure that she gets to talk to you, okay?"

"Okay," Ashlyn said. "Do you want to talk to my mom?"

"I do," Bella said. "But I'm glad that I talked to you, Ash. I miss you."

"I miss you too! I love you! Okay. BYE!" she cried, and Bella listened as Ashlyn handed the phone over to her mother. Bella sighed softly, missing the days when she'd spend her afternoon's at her sister's house, the children curled up asleep in the sun in Nessie's living room and the two sister's talking over iced tea and sharing stories about life and love.

"Hey little sister," Nessie said, coming on over the line.

"Hello big sister," Bella said, with a smile.

"What's up?" she asked and then there was a rustling over the line. "No, Ash. I want you to finish your dinner before you play video games." Bella waited until Nessie was paying attention again.

"I just missed you," she said. "I wanted to talk. How're you?"

"I'm good. Not much has changed since we last talked. Jacob is busy with work and I'm busy with Ashlyn and her gymnastics," Nessie said. "What's going on with you? How are the kids? Michael?"

"The kids are good. Asleep again. I took them to the park. Again. Lana's coming down with another cold so she's been sleeping a lot. It's been nice," she said. "Michael's fine. Still working a lot. We went out the other night though. He called a babysitter and we left the kids with her and everything. It was an official date night."

"Whoa. Really? How long has it been since you've had one of those?" she asked.

"Since I was pregnant with Sam," she said. "And it was long overdue… although it was kind of awkward. Michael's been acting really strange since then but especially on that night. He was fidgety and quiet and he wouldn't settle down. I don't know what is wrong with him. We did have sex afterwards though."

"Well, that's a good sign," Nessie said. The sisters had never been shy about telling each other about their sex lives or relationships. Bella was only 14 when her 18 year old sister told about her first time with Jacob. When Bella was 18, a freshmen in college, it was Nessie who'd she first told about her first time with Michael.

"But… I have to confess something," Bella continued as she sat down on the couch. "I've met someone else."

"Bella! What?" Nessie cried and then she lowered her voice. "Are you cheating on Michael?"

"No! God, Nessie. No," Bella said. "But… okay, well… I've thought about it though. I met him the morning before Michael took me out and while we were having sex, I kept picturing this other man and I climaxed. I haven't climaxed with Michael in almost a year."

"Oh Bella," Nessie said and Bella could hear the smile in her sister's voice. "Who is he? Tell me about him."

"His name is Edward and he's a single dad… Attractive, funny, sweet…"

"And how many times have you met up with him?" Nessie asked.

"Just twice," Bella answered. "Both times at the park. I'm going to see him again next weekend with the kids. There's a street fair in town and…"

"Bella, be careful," Nessie warned. Bella sighed softly and closed her eyes. Nessie was acting like her mother again. She'd done it all through Bella's high school years.

"Careful, Nessie? It's not like I'm going to strip him bare and jump his bones right in front of my children," Bella said.

"I know but if you're already thinking of him while you're having sex then what's going to stop you from actually having sex with him?" she asked.

"I just told you that. My kids," she said.

"Well, babysitters aren't hard to find these days," Nessie said.

"Jesus, Nessie," Bella said, suddenly feeling the urge to hang up on her sister. She knew that she was only trying to protect Bella's marriage but she wasn't happy with Michael and Nessie knew that.

"Well, come on, Bells," Nessie said. "You're _married_ and you have two beautiful children. You can't give all of that up for one night with a pretty boy that flirted with you. That's just wishful thinking."

"I am not _happily_ married and Michael doesn't care about his children or me or what we do during the day so even if I were to organize an orgy in our own house, I'm pretty sure that Michael would never even notice," Bella said, angrily.

"Bella, calm down," she said. "I'm just trying to rationalize with you. You can save your marriage. You don't need to go sneaking around behind Michael's back. That's only going to make you feel guilty, not make you any happier."

"What if I don't want to save my marriage?" Bella asked.

"What?" Nessie asked, taken back. "What are you saying?"

"I don't think that my marriage can be saved," Bella said. "I've been trying… for almost a year to get Michael's head out of his ass and realize that he has a family waiting at home for him every night. Even when we were in Washington he was neglecting us and keeping long hours at the office. It's only twice as bad now that we're all the way out here."

"Is he cheating on you?" Nessie asked. "Is this what this is about?"

"What?" Bella asked, defensively. "Jesus, Nessie. Whose side are you on? No, this isn't about him cheating on me. I don't know if he's doing that. I'm just trying to tell you that for once in my life, I've met a man who is handsome and funny and kind and he's a good father. I've only ever known Michael but what if there is another someone out there for me? I'm not saying that it has to be Edward but meeting him has definitely opened my eyes…"

"Bella, no," Nessie said. "Don't think like that. Michael is a good man and he loves you and the kids. Don't give up on him this quickly. He's a young man, building his career and it's natural that he's going to be busy for the first few years. Once he's settled in at the office, he's going to fall into sync with everything, his family and his work."

Bella wanted to argue her but it was no use. Nessie was so big on loving families and supportive husbands who loved their children. No one could do any wrong in Nessie's world. Cheating was inconceivable. Divorce was out of the question. She believed that every woman had a Jacob in their life and that every man, if not now, would eventually live up to everything that she knew about Jacob.

"I won't then," Bella said but she knew that she was lying. She'd been thinking about Edward so much lately that she'd already resisted the urge to look him up in the phone book and give him a call. "I'll be faithful, I promise. It's just… it's nice to have new friends."

"Well, don't get too comfortable with him, Bells. I want to be able to trust you," she said.

"You can, Nessie," Bella said. "You know me."

"I do," she said and she could hear the smile in her sister's voice. "And I love you, okay? Hang in there. You've still got Lana and Sam. If everything else falls apart, your babies love you."

_Maybe that's not enough_, Bella thought but she just nodded and agreed with her sister. They ended the conversation and Bella hung up the phone, tired and distraught. Would she really cheat on Michael with Edward? Could she honestly do that to him? If she knew that Michael was cheating on her, it would be so much easier to answer that question but if he wasn't and she did end up sleeping with Edward, how guilty would she feel?

Wiping the thoughts from her mind, she focused her thoughts on the telephone. For a second she thought it might be Edward but it was just another telemarketer, interested in selling life insurance. Bella was a house wife now. She'd grown accustomed to being polite to these callers and letting them down gently but somehow, she found the tenacity to just hang up on the solicitor. She was angry and it didn't help that the one person that she needed to support her, her sister, was the farthest one away from her and the least willing to sympathize.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

"It's a giraffe hat," Edward told Alex as he placed the orange and brown balloon hat on his son's head. Alex seemed confused at first that he had to wear but he quickly fell in love with the strange head adornment.

"Can I have one?" Lana asked, looking up at Bella. The six of them, Bella, Edward, and the four children were standing in line at the Clown Town Fun station, waiting for balloon animals and face paintings. They'd been at the street fair for only twenty minutes and already the sun was aggressive. Sam and Carlie were covered under their respective strollers but Alex and Lana's heads were prone to the summer sun. Edward had suggested balloon hats as an alternative form of coverage since neither parent had brought hats.

"Of course, baby," Bella said. "That's why we're standing in line. You're up next. What do you want?" She was holding tightly to Lana's hand and the little girl was attached to her mother's side, waiting patiently.

"Can I have a raff too?" she asked. Bella laughed and nodded.

"Another giraffe hat please," she told the clown who was making the animals. He nodded and happily promised Lana exactly what she wanted. She looked up at the clown without an expression and Bella was sure that her daughter was either confused or terrified of the colorful man standing in front of her. Sam was resting in his stroller, happily whacking a balloon sword back and forth that had been made for him five minutes before.

"Can I get a… cat?" Edward asked, randomly thinking of an animal for his daughter to have. The second clown nodded and smiled and began constructing his feline creation. Edward turned to Bella and smiled. He was wearing sunglasses over his eyes but he had a Dodgers baseball cap over his shaggy bronze hair and was wearing a form fitting, navy blue t-shirt with khaki shorts and sandals.

"So… how was your week?" he asked. Alex was fidgeting impatiently at his side, reaching awkwardly to the find the top of his giraffe hat.

"It was slow," Bella said, smiling. She'd made herself look especially nice today, knowing that she'd be going out with Edward later in the day. She'd woken up earlier, before the kids, and had showered and straightened her hair. She'd put on denim shorts and layered tanks, one white and the other light green. She'd put on a pair of low top Converse that she hadn't worn since college. She looked young and retro.

"Mine too," Edward said. "I had to work all week. My brothers and I are working on 78' mustang, full restoration and it's mind boggling!"

"Oh? Where were you working before?" she asked.

"Just some make-shift quick lube place," Edward said. "We finally got the courage to open our own custom body shop." Bella nodded and he continued. "But anyway… we're working on different vehicles for other customers but we've got Carlisle's fiance calling about wedding plans and Jasper's girlfriend is needing to be picked up at the airport. I've got my kids to worry about. Even though Bree's usually pretty good with them, but when she needs me to watch them and it's usually at the most inconvenient time."

"It sounds like all of that chaos would make your week go by faster," Bella said, smiling. Edward laughed.  
"You'd think so, huh?" he asked, shaking his head. He looked back to the kids as the clown finished Carlie's cat. He reached into the stroller and handed it to her and she smiled happily as she tested it out in her hands. Edward looked back to Bella as the first clown continued working on Lana's hat.

"It's slow because I want to be working and when I'm not working, I get restless and then the day goes by slow," he said. "If that makes any sense."

"A little," Bella said, glancing to Lana. She was growing impatient, wanting not to be the only one without a balloon creation. Finally the clown finished and he placed the hat on Lana's head and she beamed proudly.

"Okay! Ready to go now guys?" Edward asked. The children chimed in agreement and they moved along. Alex walking beside his sister's stroller and Lana attached to her mother's hand.

"So, I don't know what you'd think about this but…" Edward started, and he looked to Bella as they walked, their direction aimed at the bounce house across the street. "My brother, Carlisle, is getting married in two weeks and Jasper's girlfriend has come into town just for the occasion. We've all been dying to go out but I really don't want to be fifth wheel, you know? I know that you're married and everything but it doesn't have to be a date… just a casual outing for you to get acquainted with some new friends."

Bella felt as if God himself had come down and had turned her lips into the widest grin possible. Behind her sunglasses, her eyes were dancing. She wanted so badly to say yes but Lana was pulling at her arm and singing loudly.

"I'd love to… but my kids…" she said. Edward nodded.

"Taken care of," he said. "I already pitched the idea to Bree. I don't have my kids tomorrow night so she'd only be watching yours. You can bring them over to my apartment and she can watch them there. Whatever you're comfortable with."

He thought of everything. Bella smiled and nodded.

"Then I'd love to!" she cried, maybe more enthusiastically than needed. Edward just laughed.

"Great," he said. "Everyone will be really happy that you're coming along. I've been telling them about you, the great mom that I met at the park."

Bella smiled, not sure what he meant by that. This was a good sign though, that he was talking about her to other people. She smiled and took a deep breath, happy that everything was working out so perfectly. She wasn't doing anything to betray Michael and she was happy, something that she hadn't been in weeks.

The following night, Bella found her way to Edward's apartment based on the directions he'd scribbled onto paper for her at the street fair the day before. She'd managed to explain to Michael that she would be going out with some other young mother's that she'd met at the park the week before and that he didn't have to worry because she'd arranged for Bree to watch the kids at her house. She didn't feel bad at all that she was lying to Michael because if she had told the truth he would have either kept her at home or he would have invited himself along.

"Hey!" Edward cried, when he opened the door. It had been almost impossible to get the kids through the apartment building but in the end Bella found her way to his door. He ushered them inside and Bella smiled when she found Bree inside, waiting with a smile.

"Hi Bella," she said.

"Hey Bree," Bella answered and waved happily.

"You look great," Bree said, giving her two thumbs up as she stepped up to collect Lana and Sam. Bella pretended not to notice as Edward looked her over. She was beaming. She'd put on a pair of sleek, dark blue boot cut jeans and a black halter top that billowed at the stomach. It had been one of Bella's favorite maternity shirts in the earlier months even though she'd bought it when she was in high school. It was casual but flirty and it made her shoulders and back look great. She'd put her hair up into a fashionable ponytail and had, for the first time in months, put a little bit of make-up on.

"Thank you," Bella said, smiling.

"Anytime," Bree said, as she picked up Sam.

"Well, are you ready to go?" Edward asked, glancing to her. Bella nodded.

"Yes," she said. She kissed the kids goodbye and quickly left with Edward before Sam or Lana could voice their complaints. She felt hurried and rushed but it didn't bother her because she was going out on the town for the time in years without Michael and without her kids.

"We're meeting everyone at a restaurant across town," Edward said, as they ascended in the elevator to the parking garage. In such a small space, Bella could smell Edward's cologne and she smiled because it was the same cologne that Michael had used to wear. The one that she'd fallen in love with.

"I love your cologne," she said, not even thinking before she let the words leave her mouth. She blushed and Edward laughed.

"Well, thank you," he said. "I've been using it for years. Jessica always said that I should have tried different kinds but I was always content with the same one."

"Michael changes his all of the time," Bella said. "I always wanted him to keep the same scent."

"Well, then you're a woman after my own heart," Edward said and the quiet that ensued after his statement implied that something more than a comfortable friendship was growing between the two. Bella swallowed thickly and then smiled nervously. She felt like she was in high school, trying to keep the attention of the cute boy in her math class.

"What restaurant?" she finally asked, as the elevator opened.

"Fresco's," Edward said, as he pulled his keys from his pocket. He was wearing blue jeans, leather boots, and a white button up shirt over a forest green t-shirt. "It's sort of like a restaurant, bar, and night club all mixed into one."

"I've never been there," Bella said, as they located his car, a silver four door volvo. They got in and once they were enclosed behind the doors, the space between them was even smaller than in the elevator.

The drive across town was full of casual conversation. Edward talked about his work and Bella listened, feeling as if she'd told him enough about her life. He was so interesting and she couldn't believe that she was actually there with him.

At the restaurant, Edward and Bella were escorted to a table in the back where four other people awaited their arrival. They looked up as they approached.

"Hey guys," Edward said and he reached out to Bella, his hand falling methodically against her lower back. It was such a simple gesture but it meant worlds to Bella. Goose bumps rose over her skin and she smiled as he introduced her.

"Hey Bella. I'm Carlisle," Edward's older brother said as he reached out his hand. She shook it warmly. "This is my fiancé, Esme." He nodded to the pretty brunette at his side and she flashed a winning smile. She was practically a super model with her clear, perfect skin and her dark eyes.

"Hi Bella. It's nice to meet you," she said. Bella slipped into the booth beside Edward as the introductions continued around the table. Jasper, Edward's younger brother was sitting beside Esme and to his left sat his girlfriend, Alice, a pretty girl with short, dark hair and soft, blue eyes. She too was gorgeous but Bella was not surprised. It seemed that these kind of girls were easy for three gorgeous brothers to find.

The dinner went off without a single flaw. Both Esme and Alice were more interested in Bella and her kids than Bella ever imagined them to be and they loved to listen to all of her stories. Both Jasper and Carlisle were interested in where she came from and wanted to talk about the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, Bella wasn't much of a football fan so Edward had to change the subject.

"How about we get some drinks and then hit the dance floor?" he asked, reaching for his wallet. There was unanimous agreement and a waitress was summoned. Drinks were ordered and for the first time, Bella had to ask about which kind of drinks she should have. Esme and Alice were more than welcome to suggest different mixes and she finally settled on a Mudslide.

It had been so long since Bella had had alcohol that after she finished her drink, she felt a buzz. Her cheeks had grown hot and things suddenly seemed better or funnier than they normally would. She felt loose and free and she wanted to have fun.

"Edward…" she said, leaning into him. She'd interrupted him from a conversation that he was having with Carlisle but he diverted without question. Carlisle was easily distracted again by Esme.

"What's up?" he asked, looking down to Bella. His cheeks were red too and she could smell the liquor on his breath. But it wasn't a method of deflection. In fact, it intrigued her.

"Let's dance," she said, reaching for his hand under the table.

"Okay," he said, laughing and he put down his beer. "Guys, we'll be back."

Together they walked away from the table and moved towards the dance floor where a reggae band was playing from the stage. He pulled her in close to him and she slipped her arms around his neck, instantly finding his hips with hers. They bumped together, feeling the rhythm of the music and laughing every time that their inebriated motions left them awkwardly knocking limbs.

"I haven't been dancing since college," she shouted over the music. Edward looked down at her and grinned.

"Really?" he asked.

"I used to do it all of the time in high school and during my first year in college," she said. "With my friends. God, I always had so much fun."

"Are you having fun right now?" Edward asked, grinning down at her. She nodded and looked up to him, grinning happily.

"Yes!" she cried. "More fun than I've had in… in months! But I've noticed that about you, Edward."

"What?" he asked, still smiling. His hands were low at her waist and his fingers burned against her skin like fire. She kept grinning at him, wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

"I haven't been having any fun since I met you. Months and months without fun. And then you come along and I'm finally happy!" she cried. Edward laughed and smiled.

"Well, I've been told that I'm a fun guy!" he replied. He moved his hands higher on her back but in doing so, he pressed her closer to him. She kept moving with him, grinding with the beat of the music.

"We should do this more often," she said. "I like being with…"

"Hey!" Alice cried as she and Jasper joined them on the dance floor. Bella was interrupted and Edward's attention was deterred. "Mind if we join you guys?"

"No, not at all!" Edward cried and Bella smiled, agreeing with him. Jasper and Alice joined together and moved with the music beside Edward and Bella. The four of them continued to laugh and talk, yelling over the music so that they could be heard. They were all drunk but nobody cared. Everyone was having a good time and nobody cared about things like diaper changes and nap time. They were just a group of twenty something friends, enjoying a Saturday night together.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

"God… that was fun," Bella said as she and Edward made their way across the parking garage and towards the elevator. "I don't think that I've ever had that much fun. And I mean that."

She'd sobered up significantly since her drink two hours before. After dancing, the six of them had went outside and walked through the streets, finding anything and everything to talk to about. Finally, after eyes started to get heavy and the night started to get colder, did they decide to part company and go home.

"Good," Edward said, smiling at her as they stepped into the elevator. She smiled as she leaned against the back wall, looking dreamily at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were still red, more so now from the cold night rather than the alcohol, and her hair had frizzed at her temples, leaving strange flyaways that jutted out awkwardly. She reached up and tried to smooth them back.

"Bella…" Edward said. She looked at him and smiled crookedly.

"What?" she asked.

"You look great," he said. "Even still. You don't have to do that."

"Do what?" Bella asked, licking her lips. Her pulse suddenly quickened. He stepped in closer to her and moved her hand away from her hair. He licked his lips and looked down at her and shook his head.

"You don't have to fix your hair," he said, smiling. "I've been with you all night and not once have I thought that you didn't look absolutely… amazing. My mind hasn't changed."

Bella was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say. Never before in her life had she ever been spoken to like this besides anyone other than Michael. Even in high school, boys just hadn't been present in her life. She'd never thought herself especially attractive until Michael was there to convince her otherwise. Now, after so many years, someone else, someone that she desired, was telling her that he was attracted to her and she didn't know what to say.

He moved in quickly, before she could even answer him or think of anything else to say. His lips were against hers as if, all along, they were meant to be there. His hand was at her cheek and she found herself kissing him back, tasting his lips as if she'd never craved something so much. She placed her hand over his and closed her eyes, letting him devour her. It was hot and passionate and she remembered her last night with Michael and how she'd pictured Edward the whole time. All of the blood in her body rushed between her legs and she felt that familiar throbbing of desire. But then she remembered who she was and the life that she had waiting for her beyond the elevator doors. She pushed Edward away from her as quickly as he'd come at her.

"I can't… I can't do this," she said, shaking her head. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't make eye contact with him. How had she been so stupid? Nessie was right. Michael hadn't done anything wrong. He was just busy and stressed and he was working for his family. This was not how Bella was supposed to repay him.

"Bella…" Edward started and he stepped forward. Bella put her hand up, keeping him from advancing any further. She shook her head and swallowed the longing in her throat. He had tasted so good and his kiss had been so perfect but it was wrong.

"No," she said. "I just… I'm married and I've got my kids. I don't want to lose them."

He looked at her sadly but then nodded as he licked his lips.

"I understand," he said, quietly. She nodded and was grateful when the elevator opened. She spilled into the hallway and Edward followed after her.

"Can I still see you?" Edward asked, before he opened the door to his apartment. Bella looked up at him, suddenly feeling weary. She took a deep breath. She wanted to say no, that it would be better if he just left her alone but she couldn't do that. Even when she wasn't kissing him, she was having fun. He was good for her and the kids were friends.

"Yes," she said. "But maybe… maybe after a few weeks. Just… I need some time." Edward nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I can do that. You call me when you're ready. The kids will be more than happy to see you again." Bella nodded as he opened the door and a silent understanding was passed between them. She would just call him.

Inside the apartment, Bree was harboring Bella's two sleeping children. Bella said an awkward good bye to Edward and then Bree helped her bring the kids down to her car.

"Thank you again," Bella said after they secured both Lana and Sam in their car seats. Bree nodded and smiled.

"Sure," she said. "And don't worry. Edward already paid me earlier tonight."

"What?" Bella asked. Bree smiled.

"He took care of it," she said. "So don't worry about it. I'll see you later, okay?" Bella nodded and watched Bree go.

"Bye," she called out. Flustered, Bella got into her car and started the ignition. As she waited for the heater to kick in and warm the cold car, she couldn't help but reflect on the nights events. Everything had been so absolutely perfect, even her and Edward's awkward moment of passion. She was still aching for him, wondering if maybe she had made the wrong decision. What if Edward realized that he couldn't have Bella? Would he find someone else? Would he forget about her? If so, Bella was sure that she'd be destined to an unhappy life again, living sadly with Michael. Swallowing her fears, Bella started the car and slowly she left Edward's apartment, leaving him and the kiss behind.

"I've got to work late tonight," Michael said, the following morning. Bella had hardly heard him. She'd been in a daze since the night before when she'd come home from her night out with Edward. Slowly, she processed what her husband had told her.

"But it's Sunday," she said, looking up to him from her place at the kitchen table. She was slowly feeding the kids, keeping Sam from destroying his high chair and making sure that Lana didn't get syrup all over the table.

"The Internet still runs on a Sunday, babe," he said and leaned in to kiss her forehead gently. Bella sighed softly and took a deep breath.

"Okay," she said. "Whatever."

"Whatever?" Michael asked, looking down at her.

"Whatever you want to do," Bella said, feeling indifferent to the entire situation. She didn't care so much anymore. She realized that Michael wasn't going to change. She could have been happy with Edward but now she didn't have him.

"I don't _want_ to work. I _have_ to work," he said.

"And I'm sure that you _had_ to take the seven days a week, nine to sometimes eleven hour shifts too?" she asked, licking her lips and looking up to him. She made sure that Sam was content with his bowl of dry Cheerios and then she stood up and faced her husband.

"Yes, Bella, I did have to take those shifts," he said. "We're a big company in the market for a huge merger and that takes a lot of hours of the employee's time."

"Well, I'm sick of it! You have a family too! Have you even thought about us in all of this? You're never home, Michael, and we miss you. I miss you," she said, standing up to him. Michael shook his head and stepped away from her.

"I don't have time for this, Bella," he said. "You're being ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? For what? For wanting you to be home with us once or twice a week? For wanting you to go with us to the park, to play with Lana, to kiss Sam good night? What about this is ridiculous because I don't understand!" Bella cried. She stepped after him as he started to walk away from her.

"You, coming after me like this, is what's ridiculous, Bella! I'm trying to earn a living so that I can keep food on our table and a roof over our heads and you're criticizing me for doing so!" he yelled.

"It takes more than money to keep a family together, Michael! It takes loves and affection and time and you don't seem to have any of those things," she said, following him into the bedroom. He began gathering his things and reached for his jacket from the closet.

"We'll talk about this later," he said.

"No! I want to talk about it right now!" she cried, not realizing that she was crying. Michael turned and looked at her, his eyes fixed on her as if he'd never seen her before. She wondered what he saw her as now. She'd given birth to two children and she wasn't what she used to be. She was tired and plain, not having enough time to sleep or make herself look pretty or beautiful for every day.

"Stop using work as an excuse to get away from us, Michael," Bella said through her tears. He didn't move close to her. All that she needed for him to do was to wrap his arms around her and tell her that he loved her and that everything would be all right. But he didn't move.

"It's not an excuse, Bella," Michael said, quietly. "I have to go." But he didn't move toward the door. It was as if he were asking for her permission to leave. She shook her head and reached up to wipe her eyes.

"Then go, Michael. Go to work," she said. "We'll be here waiting for you to ignore us, just like we always are."

"Bella…" he said, reaching out to her but she stepped back and waved him off.

"Just leave Michael," she said. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

And so he left, leaving Bella crying in the hallway and his children oblivious in the kitchen. Bella returned to them slowly and gathered her strength as she cleared their dishes. One after the other she freed them from their chairs and let them go. Lana hurried to her bedroom where her TV was waiting and Sam toddled into the living room where he found all of his toys. Bella sat down at the kitchen table and sighed heavily, trying to so hard to fight the heart ache that was overcoming her.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"I don't know what to do," Bella said into the phone as she stopped at a red light. Nessie was on the other end of the line, the last person that Bella had left in the world to confide in.

"Okay, so relay it back to me again," Nessie said. Bella sighed. She knew that her sister wasn't listening to her. She had called her from work and she was constantly distracted.

"I went out with Edward and some of his friends, a completely and totally innocent get together but at the end of the night, one thing led to another and he kissed me. I kissed him. Whatever," Bella said.

"Right. Okay," Nessie said. "So… what are you going to do?" Bella sighed.

"That's what I just said," she answered, shaking her head. She glanced to the rearview mirror. Lana was finally asleep. Bella knew that if she put the kids in the car that one or both of them would fall asleep. Sam was still awake though, playing with a plastic cell phone and sitting quietly.

"Well… I don't know what to tell you, Bells," Nessie said. "I warned you about this. You shouldn't have let it happen."

"Well, I _know_ that much," Bella said. "And it's not like I said, 'Hey you, come over here and kiss me.' I did nothing to provoke him past the bounds of friendship. It was an attraction that I hadn't counted on. Subconsciously I wanted it a little bit but I wasn't about to go looking for it. Now I'm… I mean, I've let him go but… Michael is being a _dick_ lately."

"Oh Bells, you're a mess," Nessie said, sighing softly at the other end. "Have you talked to Michael past your argument?" Bella had told her about the argument first, before the kiss.

"No," Bella said. "He's always changing the subject on me, finding something different to occupy his mind." She stopped at another red light and found herself only blocks away from Michael's office building. She wondered if it would make him happy if they stopped by and said hello. Of course not. Lana was asleep.

"Just bring it up bluntly if you have to," Nessie said. "Just throw it in his face, make him address it. It's a surefire way to get the issue resolved." Bella nodded and proceeded into traffic. She continued to listen to her sister as she spouted off her advice but out of the corner of her eye, Bella swept the scenery around her, realizing that she'd never really been in the neighborhood where her husband worked. Just as she was about to respond to her sister, she saw Michael at the corner, waiting for the light to change. She cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear and reached out to wave. But what she saw next caused her hand to drop.

A thin, pretty brunette had stepped up behind Michael and surprised him from behind. He laughed, a smile that Bella hadn't seen on his face in weeks and then he turned to her and kissed her, pulling her into his arms as if it were okay to romance someone other than his wife in broad daylight. Bella tried to swallow the lump in her throat but it didn't go away. Tears beckoned in the corners of her eyes.

"Nessie… Nessie, I have to go," she said and she hung up without even waiting for her sister's response. She found herself sitting at the street light, tears pooling in her eyes and grief ripping her heart open. She'd never actually believed that Michael would really cheat on her. She thought that the work excuse was real, that he was really working. She didn't know to believe anymore.

A car honked at her and she realized that the light had turned green. She pushed her foot hard against the accelerator and sped away from the intersection quickly before Michael could see that she'd been there, watching him.

Bella tried to drive, to focus on the road but she was having trouble. She felt like the chicken in the stupid book that she'd read as a kid. The sky was falling on top of her head. As she drove away from that street corner she, quite literally, expecting the world to collapse. She found it hard to breathe and her lungs pulled in heavy breaths. Tears clouded her vision and she tried so hard to keep her focus on the traffic around her. For the sake of her children in the backseat, she kept driving.

Before she'd even made it another two blocks her emotions overwhelmed her and she pulled off onto the side of the road. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles grew white. Anger, sadness, and fear rose in her throat and she let out a sob of despair. The tears fell down her cheeks in waves.

"Oh my god," she cried, bringing one hand to her mouth. She could taste the saline of her own tears as fell against her lips. "Oh god…"

She closed her eyes and cried harder, feeling sadness, betrayal, and guilt all at the same time. Michael had pulled her away from her family, her friends, and her life and she had done so without question or hesitation. She followed him into the unknown because she loved him and she wanted to be where he was. But he had betrayed her and left her alone in the most unfamiliar of cities. She too was guilty of falling under another's charm but it had only happened four days earlier and she had stopped it, thinking only of her husband.

It was obvious that, whoever this woman was, Michael had been seeing her for much longer than four days. She had kissed him in the way that Bella had used to kiss him, back when they first fell in love. Michael had smiled at her, a smile that he'd once given to Bella.

Pulling in a tortured breath, Bella took the wheel again. She had to find someone to talk to. It would be so easy to just call Nessie back and find comfort in her older sister's voice. But Bella needed more than comfort.

Reaching into the passenger seat, Bella opened her purse and struggled to find her cell phone. Bella located Bree's phone number and called her quickly. She answered on the second ring.

"Bree… it's Bella," she said, not even bothering to mask the tears in her voice. "Are you busy right now?"

"No… Why? Bella, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I need… can you watch the kids for a few hours?" she asked, desperately.

"Yeah, I can," she said. "Should I come over?"

"No. I'll come to you," she said, finding a pen. "Where do you live?"

After finding her way to Bree, Bella dropped Lana and Sam off without an explanation or a definite promise of return. Bree seemed to understand and she let Bella go without any questions. Despite the cloud of tears that had formed in her eyes, Bella navigated her way through the city until she found herself parked across the street from Edward's apartment complex. Passerby's glanced to her awkwardly as she dodged traffic and hurried to the lobby doors.

"Edward?" she asked, upon pressing the button to the intercom system that linked back to Edward's apartment. No reply. Frustrated, Bella tried again.

"Please be home," she pleased. There was still no answer. She wiped her eyes and looked back to the street wearily. She wished that she had his phone number or knew where his body shop was.

"God, where are you?!" she growled, drawing the attention from a passing woman. Turning back to the entrance, she stepped up to the door and peered into the lobby, her face pressed against the glass in earnest. Someone had to come down from their apartment or step in from the outside.

"Bella?" Edward asked and as if answering her prayers, she turned to find him standing behind her, fumbling with his keys.

Without a word, she threw her arms around him tightly, pulling herself close to him. She breathed him in, feeling his heartbeat against her own chest. She felt his arms around her in an instant. He held her tightly and she breathed in his scent, cigarettes and the cologne that she loved. They stood there like that for what felt like eternity before he finally drew away and brought his hand to cheek gently.

"I saw Michael with another woman," Bella said as she turned her face to him. He wiped her tears with his thumbs and kept his gaze steady on her. "Outside of his work… only thirty minutes ago."

"Oh… Bella," he said, his eyes finding hers. "I'm sorry."

"I didn't know what to do or who to come to," she said. "You're my only friend, all that I have here."

"You came to the right place," he said, reaching for her hand. "I'll take care of you but let's go inside and get away from all of these people."

Holding his hand tightly, Bella followed him through the building and into his apartment, tears falling from her eyes. Her heart was aching, burning for release from the pain.

"Here, Bella. Sit," he said, leading her to the couch. She did as he suggested and she sat there while he put his things away. She reached for the box of Kleenex on the coffee table and she wiped her eyes, attempting to dry her tears.

Finally Edward came back to her and he sat on the coffee table in front of her. He took her hands in his and leaned in close, watching her face. The gesture was affectionate and for the first time in a long time, Bella felt loved and cherished.

"Tell me what happened," he said. Bella nodded and took a deep breath.

"I just put the kids in the car, hoping Lana would fall asleep and I started driving. I wasn't really going anywhere but I found myself in the neighborhood of my husbands company," she said, looking at him through her tears. "And I saw him on the street with a woman and they were kissing and touching… oh my god…"

She broke down again and Edward pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his neck. He kissed her temple gently, an affection so soft and perfect that Bella felt her heartbeat slow. She swallowed thickly and allowed her sobs to subside as Edward continued kissing her. His lips touched her temple again and then her forehead and her cheek. He kissed her tears away and brought his hand to her cheek gently.

"You don't deserve him, Bella," he said, shaking his head. "No man should treat the woman that he loves that way."

"I know," Bella said, nodding as she looked up at him. She'd managed to stop crying and she brought her hands to wipe her eyes. "But I… I'm guilty of the same, Edward. I kissed you… before I even knew what Michael was doing. I'm just as bad as he is."

"No, you're not," Edward said, shaking his head. He reached out and brushed her hair behind her ears and away from her wet skin. He put his finger beneath her chin and tilted her face to his, looking into her eyes. "You're not. You knew that what you were doing was wrong and besides… I initiated that kiss. You had nothing to do with it."

"But I kissed back. I wanted to kiss you. I wanted it and I knew what I was doing," she said. Edward licked his lips.

"But you stopped it before it went too far," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, you're guilty of nothing."

"I just… Edward, I don't know what to do," she said, looking to him with tired eyes. She was so drained from the crying that she'd been doing that she was ready to give up.

"Do what you think is right," he said. "Infidelity is the ultimate betrayal in any relationship, married or not. You've caught him and you have every right to call him on it and end the relationship."

"But…" Bella started. She couldn't even fathom what Edward was saying. She hated Michael so much for what he had done to her but how could she just let go of him? They'd been together for four years and had been married for three. They had two beautiful children who Bella loved with all of her heart. In one second Michael had jeopardized all of that without even knowing that he'd done so. It was up to Bella now to make the decision that would alter her future forever.

"Come here," Edward said, opening his arms again. She leaned into him again and closed her eyes, welcoming his arm. She rested her head against his chest and slowly let herself relax. His palms were gently rubbing against her back and underneath his touch, her breathing slowly evened out and she had calmed significantly.

"You need to rest for a little while," he said, after a few minutes. Slowly, they drew away from each other and Edward took her hand and stood up. "I have to get back to work for at least a few more hours. I want you to get some sleep, okay? You need to calm your nerves."

She nodded as he led her back to his bedroom. It was small and untidy. The bed was unmade and the sheets were tossed about on the bed. She didn't care. It looked warm and inviting and she could already feel the comfort that sleep would bring her. She sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed softly.

"Where are the kids?" Edward asked, as he arranged his pillows and straightened the blankets. He patted the bed and she scooted back and then slowly looked up at him.

"I called your sister and dropped them off with her," she said. "I was in hysterics. I didn't know what else to do."

"Okay," Edward said, brushing her hair from her eyes again. "I'll call her and make sure that she can keep them for the rest of the evening. Chances are my mom's at home with her and she's really good with kids. I'll take care of everything. You just stay here and sleep, okay? I'll be back in a few hours."

"Okay," she said, lying back slowly. Edward pulled the blankets over her and then leaned over and kissed her forehead gently, his palm falling ever so softly against her cheek.

"Try not to think about any of it, Bella. Okay? Just let it go," he said. She nodded and sighed softly, letting her body fall heavily against the mattress. She felt him drawing away from her. "I'll be back soon."

She closed her eyes as she listened to him retreat. She heard his keys and then the door opened and closed. The apartment fell silent except for the gently purr of the air conditioner in some unknown corner of the room. Taking a deep breath, Bella allowed herself to fall asleep. She curled onto her side and pulled Edward's blankets in close to her. His scent lingered on the fabric and the cologne brought her back to the memories of college when she'd first fallen in love. Only now, as she drifted off into a silent sleep, it was Edward who was tied to the memory. Michael was the farthest thing from her mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

The rest of Edward's afternoon passed by in a daze. He tried his best to focus on the work that needed to be done at the shop but his mind was far away from everything in front of him. For four days Bella had been the only thing on his mind. She was beautiful and kind and above all things she was innocent, a trait that Edward loved more than anything. She was a good mother to her children and he could see in her eyes and her smile that she loved them more than anything. He loved being with her and spending time at her side, even if they were only sharing their time as friends.

He'd risked so much in kissing her that night but everything inside of him had told him that it was the right. She was unhappy with her marriage and she'd spent the entire night, laughing and smiling at his side. She'd answered his prayers when she'd returned the kiss. She'd tasted perfect, just as he'd imagined she would. Her lips were sweet and soft and he would have given everything to have tasted so much more of her. When she'd pulled away from him, thinking of her family, he'd been disappointed but he understood. Something inside of him had told him that she would come back to him in time.

He hadn't expected that, the next time that he would see her again would be on his door step while she cried in a hysterical fit. She'd claimed that he was the only person in the world that she had left to turn to in her time of despair. Her husband had cheated on her and she'd come to Edward. But he knew that he had to be gentle with her because her heart was fragile and he couldn't take her for granted. He kept her close to him but didn't move in too quickly or without warning. He did everything that he needed to do to calm her down and it had worked and now she was asleep, in his bed, waiting for him to come back to her.

"Edward…"

Outside of the recesses of his mind, Edward heard his older brother calling for him. He shook free from his thoughts and turned his attention back to the V8 he was currently working on..

"Yeah?" he asked, pushing his hair from his eyes and looking back to his brother. Carlisle was watching him with raised eyebrows and a concerned expression.

"Where'd you go?" he asked.

"Oh… I'm just… distracted," Edward said, reaching out and slamming the hood of the car shut.

"Yeah. That's the understatement of the day," Carlisle said. "We haven't gotten none of the cars done today because you keep dazing off and staring into space. Jasper's already gotten bored and now he's down in the lobby, making plans for the rest of his day, no doubt. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Um… yeah," Edward said, sighing softly. "I mean… I want to but… it's complicated."

"Try me," Carlisle said, rolling his chair closer to his brother. Edward sighed and looked to him.

"Do you remember my friend Bella?" he asked. Carlisle nodded.

"How could I forget? Cute brunette with the nice ass," he said, nodding. Edward shot him a look and Carlisle stepped down.

"Well, she's married and she has a couple of kids," Edward said. "But she's not happy and her husband doesn't spend any time with them. She was looking for some friends and I tried to be that person for her. After we got back from the club, I kissed her in the elevator and although she kissed me back for about ten seconds, she knew where her priorities laid and she let me go. But she came back tonight… without her kids and she was a crying mess, sobbing and just broken into pieces. Her husband cheated on her and she caught him. And she came to me."

"Whoa," Carlisle said. "That's… heavy. What did you do?"

"Well, she's still at my apartment right now… sleeping in my bed," he said, looking up to his brother and expecting disapproval.

"Well is she there because you know that you can take her pants off later or is she there because you genuinely care about her and you're honestly trying to help her," Carlisle said.

Edward hesitated. Something inside of him told him that if he returned to the apartment and woke Bella up, she would sleep with him. She was vulnerable and open, wanting to take action against her husband who had betrayed her. But at the same time, Edward was just content letting her sleep, giving her a place for refuge until her heart was strong enough to face Michael.

"I guess a little bit of both," Edward said, sighing. "I mean, I can't tell you that I wouldn't enjoy having sex with her but… I don't think it's the right time for that. I want her to trust me and I don't think that will happen if I go home and jump her bones."

"Then there's your answer," Carlisle said. Edward looked at him questioningly.

"I never asked you a question," he said. Carlisle laughed and shook his head.

"Go back to your apartment, Edward," he said. "Go home and make sure that she's all right. If it leads to sex then you'll have had a good night but if not, then you've got a friend that you know will come back to you again, especially after she gets rid of her husband. Don't rush it."

Edward wondered when his brother had become such a Dr. Phil. He nodded and stood up slowly. He gathered his things and slowly began easing towards the door.

"Thanks bro," he said.

"Sure," Carlisle said with a smile. "Now make it count."

Edward followed his brother's advice. He left the shop and hurried back to his apartment. On the way back to Bella, he called Bree and explained to her what was going on. She agreed to keep the kids for another two hours and Edward promised that, by then, he was sure that Bella would be ready to pick them up and take them home.

When he stepped into his apartment, it was dark and quiet. Fear ate away at Edward's heart and for a moment he wondered if maybe she had left. He couldn't remember if he'd turned the lights off or not. For a moment, he found himself standing motionless at the front door, waiting to hear Bella sigh from the back bedroom. He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes as he leaned back against the door.

He was so fearful of what the evening held in store for him. But as much as he was afraid, he was eager because he'd never met a girl like Bella. She was beautiful and sweet and everything that he'd ever wanted in a woman. At one point in his life, Edward had believed that he'd found that in Jessica but even in the few short weeks that he'd known her, Bella had opened his eyes to something he'd never known but always dreamed of. She could be his best friend as well as his lover and with Jessica, he'd never found true friendship.

Pulling Edward away from his thoughts, a strange sound beckoned him from the living room. Opening his eyes, he glanced around the living room and stepped forward. It was the beeping of a cell phone but it wasn't Edward's because his phone was nestled inside of his pocket. He followed the sound until he came to Bella's purse on the couch. Without being too intrusive, he located her cell phone and flipped it open.

Five missed calls from Michael Cell and three from home. Three voicemails, he thought as he read the screen and sifted through the received calls. Damn. Sighing heavily, Edward set her phone back into her purse and he glanced back to the hallway. Licking his lips, he moved towards his bedroom slowly.

His heart settled when he saw Bella curled up in his bed, her body nestled underneath his blankets and sheets. Taking a deep breath, he advanced toward the bed and slowly moved to her side. He sat on the edge of the mattress, careful not to wake her, and reached out to her. With the back of his palm, he touched her cheek gently and then turned his hand and drew his fingers along her jaw gently. She didn't wake and he just stayed quiet beside her as he drew his hand away.

In one single movement, he crawled over her and laid in the bed at her side before pulling himself close to her. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. She smelled like baby powder and tears. He draped his arm over her waist and gently pulled her hair away from her neck. Ever so softly, he kissed the skin just below her ear lobe but it was enough to cause her to stir.

Roused from her silent dreams, Bella felt Edward's lips against her skin and his body warm against hers. Her eyes fluttered open gently and she found herself looking at the wall in front of her. She'd been dreaming of Edward and even though Michael had tortured her reality, he was the farthest thing from her mind. Sighing softly, she rested her hand over Edward's at her stomach and slowly turned her head until she could see him over her shoulder. She didn't smile or speak at all. She just looked at him, finding his eyes with her own and searching his face for the answers that she needed.

Without a word, he leaned into her and pressed his lips to hers. She didn't resist. She returned the kiss and as it continued, she turned her body slowly until she was facing him. Edward's hand traveled along her waist and to her lower back and he pulled her close to him. She pressed her body against his and slowly brought her hand to his cheek. Despite the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes for her broken marriage, kissing Edward felt right and she had no reason to feel sadness.

"Bella…" Edward whispered against her lips between kisses. She opened her eyes and found that he was already watching her. He brought his hand to her cheek and pushed his fingers through her hair.

She knew what he wanted to know. He was hesitating because he was worried that she was only coming to him because she wanted revenge on her husband for hurting her. It wasn't like that at all and Bella didn't know how to tell him. She hadn't known Edward very long but she held him in his heart already. He had been the friend that she'd needed, the equal that she'd been seeking ever since she realized that her life was never going to be as she'd always dreamed it to be. She was a young parent, struggling with a difficult marriage, and she was alone and afraid of the future. Edward had stepped in and filled the emptiness that she'd been feeling since she'd moved to Chicago. All that he had done was given her his time and his friendship and had let his children play with hers. Even if they're romantically involved, Bella knew that she could be happier with Edward than with anyone else.

"I just want you to kiss me, Edward," she said, reaching for his lips again. He kissed her back and nodded softly as he brought his hand back to her cheek.

"I can do that," he said, softly and kissed her again. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she moved onto her back and let Edward fall over her. He anchored his hand against the bed beside her head and pushed the other through her hair, his fingernails gently brushing against her scalp. Goose bumps rose over her skin and she shifted underneath him, sliding her hands over his shoulders and down his chest. She brought them to his sides and pulled him down closer to her.

For another twenty minutes they stayed there, their bodies pressed close together and their lips never leaving each others. Finally, they drew apart but stayed together in the bed, their feet tangled in the sheets and the shadows of the night dancing over them.

"I need to get my babies," Bella said, lacing her fingers with his.

"I called Bree. She said that they're doing fine, that they've been asleep," he said, turning his head to look at her.

"I know but I still need to go back to them," she said, turning to look at him. She found his eyes and he looked back at her and smiled. With his free hand, he reached up and brushed her hair from her eyes.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked. "The three of you are welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like."

"As tempting an offer as that is, I need to confront Michael about this before I walk away from him. He still has no idea…" she said, her words trailing away in the darkness. She hadn't returned to the situation since before she'd fallen asleep. It was still there, looming over her head, waiting for her to take action.

"He called you a few times," Edward said. "I saw your cell phone on my way in."

"I better go then," she said, slowly sitting up. She pulled her hand away from him and then her body as she stood up and stepped away from the bed. Edward sat up and looked at her with fear in his eyes. What was he so afraid of? Did he think that she would let Michael get away with it?

"Can I confess something to you?" she asked, before she even let him question her. He raised his eyebrows and slowly moved to the edge of the bed. She swallowed thickly and smiled as she stood near the door.

"Yeah," he said. "Please do."

"After that first day that I met you, after we sat together in the park, I went out with Michael later that night and we came home and had sex," she said. Edward didn't seem interested because confusion passed over his eyes. Bella found herself smiling then. "But I wasn't really looking forward to it because I haven't enjoyed sex with Michael since before Sam was born so I… I imagined that he was you."

"What?" Edward asked, truly not expecting that to be her confession. A crooked smile began to form at the corners of his lips. "Well…"

"Well, let's just say that, for the first time in many, many months… I enjoyed myself," she said, smiling back at him. Edward licked his lips, obviously proud that he'd done so well with her in such a short period of time. She laughed gently and slowly backed towards the door.

"Maybe someday I can live up to your expectations," he said. "In the flesh."

"Maybe," she said and then smiled as she turned away from him and hurried back to the living room. She heard him come after her. Once she reached the couch, he took hold of her arm and pulled her towards him.

"Be careful," he said, looking down at her. She smiled and slowly pushed up on her tip toes and kissed him gently.

"I will," she said and smiled as she stepped away from him. She gathered her purse and he walked her to the door.

"Come back in one piece," he said as he opened it and led her into the hallway.

"It's not me that you should be worried about," she said, as she stepped up to the elevator and pressed the button. He smiled and waved lazily. She returned the wave and stepped into the elevator once it opened for her. Edward stayed there, standing at the door until the elevator doors closed shut and carried her away from him.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

As Bella made her return across town, she contemplated picking up her children from Bree's house. Not only was it out of her way but it would be easier to talk to Michael without having to worry about what words Lana might pick up from their conversation or if Sam would start crying. So she called Bree, promised her it would only be another hour, at the most, and that she would be back for them soon. Bree assured her that they were fine and then wished her good luck. As Bella hung up, she had a feeling that Edward might have told Bree more than she needed to know. Putting it aside, Bella returned to her house, finding Michael's truck parked in the driveway.

"Where in the hell have you been?" he asked, as soon as she stepped inside. He charged into the foyer from the living room, his face red and his hair tousled. He had the phone in his hands and even though she'd turned her cell phone off only five minutes before, she had a feeling that he'd been calling her.

"Out," she said, pushing past him. She couldn't even look at him without feeling an indescribable rage. After everything that she'd sacrified for him, after letting him have everything that he'd ever wanted in life and so much more, she was still not enough for him.

"What do you mean out? Bella, where are the kids?" he asked still angry. He followed after her and she dropped her keys and her cell phone on the table before she turned and looked at him.

"They're with a babysitter," she said, attempting to remain calm.

"_Why_?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He was talking to her as if she were stupid when it came to her children, as if leaving them with a babysitter was the worst thing that she could do.

"Because I needed a break," she said.

"A break from what?" he asked. "What the hell have you been doing all day?"

"Crying, Michael!" she cried. It wasn't exactly the approach that she'd wanted to take but it came out of her mouth before she could stop it. His expression softened and he looked at her curiously.

"Why?" he asked. "What happened?" He was so oblivious to himself that it made her sick. Quite literally. She felt her stomach turn over.

"I saw you," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "I saw you with that woman today, in front of your building. I saw you kiss her and walk away with her hand in yours, Michael. _That_ is why I've been crying."

He didn't say anything which is what she expected. He just looked at her with sad eyes and then licked his lips. But he still didn't speak and Bella guessed that he was working up a defense his mind. It wouldn't work. He wasn't going to get away with it.

"I…" he started but she wouldn't let him explain.

"No," she said, shaking her head. She knew what she had to do. She moved past him and hurried down the hallway. "I don't want to look at you or talk to you or even think about you right now, Michael. You've hurt me beyond… beyond what I thought possible."

Tears were in her eyes now as she hurried into her bedroom and back to the closet. She began searching for a duffel bag or a suitcase… any kind of bag. Michael stood at the doorway of the closet, watching her with panic written across his face. He'd been caught with his pants down and he didn't know what to do.

"Bella… I'm sorry," he said, as if a simple apology could fix what he'd done. "I never…"

"You never thought that I would find out?!" she cried, finally finding an overnight bag at the base of the closet. She began pulling things off of the hangers and out of the dresser drawers until the bag was full of clothes. Enough clothes to get by for a few days.

"No, Bella, I never…" he started.

"You never what?!" she yelled angrily, interrupting him again. "You never meant to hurt me? You never meant to fall out of love with me or with your kids? What Michael? What can you possibly say that would make this situation better?"

"Nothing," he said, quietly. "Nothing and I know that. I don't… I don't know what to say, truthfully."

"Well, good because I don't want to talk to you anymore," she said, pushing him aside as she charged for the bathroom. She gathered her toiletries and everyday needs before hurrying to Sam's nursery.

"But I do love you, Bella," he said, following her. "Please believe me when I say that."

"You don't fucking love me, Michael, or why the fuck would you be… be fucking someone else?" she yelled, turning to look at him. She held her packed bag from one hand and an empty, child's backpack in the other. She must have looked pathetic and weary but she didn't care what he thought anymore.

"I never said that I was sleeping with her," he said, as if that would somehow make it seem like less of a problem.

"I don't fucking care, Michael! I don't care what you're doing with her, the point is that you're with her… whatever you're doing. It's not with me, your wife and so therefore, I no longer care!" she cried, not sure if she was even making any sense any more. She turned back to the matter at hand and began pulling Sam's clothes and diapers into the second bag. She picked up a few of his favorite toys and his blanket and tried to move past Michael. He stood in the doorway, blocking her way out.

"Bella, you're half of the reason why I even turned to her in the first place," he said. She couldn't believe him. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"You can **not** blame this on me, Michael, and tell me that this is my fault," she yelled. "I followed you halfway across the country because I love you! You pulled me away from my family and my friends but I didn't hold it against you. I thought that we would be okay out here because we had love and we had each other but you fucked that up, didn't you?"

Michael shook his head and looked down at her with determination.

"You became someone else, Bella," he said. "You changed and you lost that… that… fire that you used to have."

"Well what the hell did you expect, Michael?" she yelled. "I was a sophomore in college when I got pregnant and I had to give it all up. You got to go on with your life and get your degree and have your perfect ending and I got a couple of kids and a husband that turned out to be a piece of shit!"

With all of the strength that she had left, she shoved the heels of her hands into his shoulders and she hit him with enough force that he stumbled backwards into the hall. She had room to pass and she did so gratefully. She found herself in Lana's room next where she picked up yet another bag and began filling it desperately.

"Bella, where are you even going to go? If you leave me, where do you have left to run to?" he asked, following after him. With his words a new realization came into Bella's mind and it broke her heart.

"Did you bring me all the way out here because you knew that if I found out that you were cheating on me, I would be too far away from home to return? How long has this been going on, Michael? Before we moved here? Is she the reason why we're even here at all?" she asked, throwing too many questions at him. He just looked down at her sadly and without even speaking a word, he told her everything that she needed to know.

An audible sob left her lips and Bella gave up on filling Lana's bag. She had to get away from him. She pushed past him again and hurried back to the front of the house where she had left her keys.

"Bella, where are you going to go?" Michael asked, once again, following after her. She knew that he was concerned but she didn't care. He deserved to be worried, to wonder where she was when she wasn't at home with him.

"Away from you," she said, picking up her keys. She pulled the back of her arm across her face and tried her best to balance the three bags.

"That's not an answer," Michael said. "You have my children and I want to know where they're going to be."

"Well, you should have thought about them before you started fucking around," Bella said, pulling open the door. She charged to her car and tossed the bags through the open window on the passenger side. Michael came after, stumbling on the front step. He tripped as she came towards her.

"Bella…" he pleaded, as if the entire argument hadn't just happened. She hurried around the front of the car and when he reached for her arm, she shook him away angrily.

"I could have loved you forever," she said, looking at him once she reached the driver's side door. "Until I realized that there is something else out there besides you, Michael."

"What… what is that supposed to mean?" he asked, looking at her curiously.

"It means that you might want to start thinking about how you're going to go about getting your kids on the weekends when they're in Washington with me," she said, falling heavily into the driver's seat. She shut the door and started the car before he could object. Leaving him standing bewildered in the driveway, she backed out into the street and sped away from her house, her home, and her husband, wishing that she never had to see any of them again.


End file.
